Israel pulls some troops from southern Gaza, but clearing Hamas from Rafah still a goal

Israel-Hamas

Jack Jeffery and Tia Goldenberg April 7, 2024

Israel’s military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Y

o

unis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began.

Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under army policy, said a significant force remained in Gaza and would preserve the army’s freedom of action to continue targeted operations across the territory, including Khan Y

o

unis, a Hamas stronghold that has been Israels main focus for several months.

Still, the withdrawal was a significant milestone as Israel and Hamas marked six months of fighting. The Israeli officials said the 98th paratroopers division would recuperate and prepare for future operations. Israel previously claimed to have dismantled Hamas forces in Khan Y

o

unis, the hometown of the groups leader, Yehya Sinwar.

AP video in Khan Y

o

unis on Sunday showed some people returning to a landscape marked by shattered multistory buildings and climbing over debris to explore crumbled, dusty remains.

After six months of war, Israel’s isolation and Gaza devastation grow

Israel has vowed a ground offensive on the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, considered Hamas last stronghold, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday told his Cabinet that victory means elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip, including Rafah.

But Rafah shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gaza’s population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israel’s top ally, the U.S., which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Y

o

unis could relieve some pressure on Rafah.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC the U.S. believes that the partial Israeli withdrawal is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months and not necessarily, that we can tell, indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.

Israel’s military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas has resurfaced, including Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organization called an empty shell.”

Israel’s defense chief says military ‘thoroughly planning’ offensive in crowded Gaza border town

The six-month mark has been met with growing frustration in Israel, where anti-government protests have swelled and anger is mounting over what some see as government inaction to help free about 130 remaining hostages, about a quarter of whom Israel says are dead. Hamas-led militants took about 250 captives when they crossed from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and killed

about

1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Negotiations in pursuit of a cease-fire in exchange for the hostages release were expected to resume in Cairo on Sunday. An Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency was due to depart for Cairo, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

Israel is prepared for a deal; Israel is not prepared to surrender,” Netanyahu said, and asserted that international pressure on Israel is only causing Hamas to harden its positions.

Pressure rose for action now.

This doesnt seem a war against terror. This doesnt seem anymore a war about defending Israel. This really, at this point, seems its a war against humanity itself,”

C c

hef Jose Andres told ABC, days after an Israeli airstrike killed seven of his World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza. Aid deliveries on a crucial new sea route to the territory were suspended.

Israel says it plans to direct Palestinians out of Rafah ahead of anticipated offensive

Humanity has been all but abandoned in Gaza, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement marking six months of war.

The U

nited Nations.N.

and partners now warn of imminent famine for more than 1 million people in Gaza as humanitarian workers urge Israel to loosen restrictions on the delivery of aid overland, the only way to meet soaring needs as some Palestinians forage for weeds to eat.

Mothers who have given birth in Gaza since the war began are especially vulnerable.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said the bodies of 38 people killed in Israels bombardment had been brought to the territorys remaining functional hospitals in the last 24 hours. It said 33,175 have been killed since the war began. It doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says two-thirds of the dead are children and women.

Israels military continued to suffer losses, including in Khan Y

o

unis, where the military said four soldiers were killed.

Over More than

600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, including 260 in the Gaza ground operation, according to Israels government.

Israel vows to fight Hamas to Gaza’s southern border. That’s fueling tension with Egypt

Concerns about a wider regional conflict continued as a top Iranian military advisor warned Israel that none of its embassies

waswere

safe following last weeks strike in Damascus blamed on Israel that killed two elite Iranian generals and flattened an Iranian consular building.

None of the embassies of the [Israeli] regime are safe anymore, Gen. Rahim Safavi, a military advisor to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the semi

–

official Tasnim agency.

Israel has not directly acknowledged its involvement. Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for any response. Whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them, he said.

Jeffery and Goldenberg write for the Associated Press. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv.