The Israeli army’s departure from southern Gaza over the weekend has left the territory and not using a main battlefield for the primary time since a short truce with Hamas in November, elevating hopes that the 2 sides may attain one other cease-fire.
Analysts say the redeployment signifies that the battle is getting into a brand new part, one through which Israeli forces, primarily stationed alongside Gaza’s borders, will principally mount temporary raids into the territory earlier than retreating to Israel, moderately than prolonged floor maneuvers involving massive numbers of troops.
By withdrawing with out both capturing Hamas’s final main stronghold, Rafah, or empowering another Palestinian management, Israel has left behind an influence vacuum through which Hamas may regroup and re-emerge as a army drive throughout a lot of the territory.
That probability has prompted expectations that Israel will proceed to mount small-scale operations throughout Gaza to stop Hamas’s resurgence, extending the battle for months to return. That technique may occupy a center floor between reaching a long-lasting truce with Hamas and advancing in drive into Rafah.
The Israeli army mentioned on Sunday that its 98th Division had left Khan Younis in southern Gaza so as “to recuperate and put together for future operations.” That leaves no Israeli troops actively maneuvering in southern Gaza, in accordance with two officers briefed on the matter who weren’t approved to talk publicly about it.
The drawdown of troops continues a course of that started in January and leaves the equal of a single brigade in all of Gaza, or fewer than 5,000 troops — down from roughly 50,000 on the peak of the battle in December.
The remaining troops inside Gaza are principally guarding a buffer zone that Israel has created by destroying Palestinian buildings alongside the border, or positioned alongside a slim land hall that splits northern Gaza, together with Gaza Metropolis, from the remainder of the territory.
The remaining troops inside
Gaza are principally guarding
a provide highway often called the
Netzarim hall, in addition to
a buffer zone Israel created
alongside the border by
destroying Palestinian
buildings.
The Israeli army mentioned it
withdrew a division from
town of Khan Younis.
The army was making ready
for “follow-up missions”
that included Rafah, the
protection minister mentioned.
The remaining troops inside
Gaza are principally guarding
a provide highway often called the
Netzarim hall, in addition to
a buffer zone Israel created
alongside the border by
destroying Palestinian
buildings.
The Israeli army mentioned it
withdrew a division from
town of Khan Younis.
The army was making ready
for “follow-up missions”
that included Rafah, the
protection minister mentioned.
Two journalists for The New York Occasions traveled down the hall final week, observing the way it capabilities as a provide highway for troops, a barrier to displaced Gazans making an attempt to maneuver again to north Gaza, and a possible launchpad for future Israeli army operations in northern and central Gaza.
The Israeli management painted the withdrawal as an indication of Israel’s progress on the battlefield, and one thing it had lengthy predicted. Israeli officers have mentioned that, having routed Hamas, their military would ultimately transfer most of its troops again to the strip’s perimeter and conduct temporary assaults on particular targets, as a substitute of finishing up large-scale floor maneuvers throughout large areas.
The 98th Division’s operations in southern Gaza have been “extraordinarily spectacular,” the Israeli protection minister, Yoav Gallant, mentioned in a press release. “Their actions enabled the dismantling of Hamas as a functioning army unit on this space,” he added.
To others, the drawdown constitutes an Israeli failure. Regardless of mounting a marketing campaign that native authorities say has killed greater than 33,000 and left Gaza in ruins and getting ready to famine, Israel is leaving a lot of the strip with out having achieved the targets it set for itself after Hamas raided Israel on Oct. 7, setting off the battle.
Hamas’s most senior leaders are nonetheless alive; a number of thousand Hamas fighters are nonetheless at massive; and roughly half of the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are nonetheless in Gaza. Israel’s withdrawal has left most of Gaza and not using a practical administration, and the void may but be crammed as soon as extra by Hamas.
“Within the six months of battle, we failed to attain even a single one of many aims,” wrote Nahum Barnea, a distinguished Israeli commentator, in a column on Monday for the centrist Yediot Ahronot. “We didn’t destroy Hamas,” he added.
To rout Hamas, Israel would want to observe via on its promise to advance on Rafah, the southern metropolis the place most of its remaining fighters and army leaders are considered hiding. Prime officers have mentioned repeatedly that there can be an offensive into Rafah; Mr. Gallant, mentioned on Sunday that the army was making ready for “follow-up missions” that included “the Rafah space. We’ll attain a degree when Hamas now not controls the Gaza Strip and doesn’t operate as a army framework that poses a menace to the residents of the state of Israel.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, faces intense stress to proceed with the Rafah operation from far-right members of his ruling coalition, who’ve threatened to break down the federal government if he calls it off, prompting elections that the prime minister may lose.
However Mr. Netanyahu is underneath rising worldwide stress, together with from President Biden, to name off the Rafah operation as a result of it will danger widespread hurt to the a couple of million civilians who’ve fled to town because the battle started.
He additionally faces a rising home backlash from opponents who consider he ought to safe the swift launch of the remaining hostages, even when it comes at the price of maintaining Hamas in energy.
The withdrawal from southern Gaza appeared on Monday to have given contemporary momentum to negotiations to attain a cease-fire and an trade of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held inside Israel. Negotiations have stalled for months, largely as a result of Israel doesn’t wish to comply with a truce that enables Hamas to stay in command of any a part of Gaza, whereas Hamas is cautious of a deal that doesn’t guarantee its long-term survival.
However after Israel redeployed its troops, a number of Israeli politicians, together with Mr. Gallant, mentioned they believed a deal might be struck, as mediators met in Cairo to attempt to attain a compromise.
Hamas didn’t launch any official statements on Monday about the potential of a deal, however on Sunday it restated a number of positions that Israel is unlikely to comply with, together with the Israeli military’s full withdrawal from the territory.
Abu Bakr Bashir, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck and Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting.
