Israeli army confirms “reduction in troop strength'' in southern Gaza

The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it would reduce the number of soldiers in southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the area.

The military stressed that “significant forces” remain in Gaza.

“This is a new phase in the war effort,” Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told the BBC.

The withdrawal has been interpreted as tactical rather than a sign that the war is nearing an end.

Also on Sunday, Israel and Hamas announced they had sent a delegation to Cairo to participate in new ceasefire negotiations.

Today marks six months since Hamas attacked communities in Israel's southern border on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

Israel has announced that at least 34 of the 130 hostages remaining in Gaza have died.

Since then, Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 33,000 Gazans, the majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry. Gaza is on the brink of starvation, with Oxfam reporting that 300,000 people trapped in the north have been living on an average of 245 calories a day since January.

Lt. Col. Lerner said the troops will be deployed in rotation as the military completes its mission in Khan Yunis.

Khan Yunis has been under Israeli shelling for several months, and the city and surrounding area have been largely destroyed.

“The war is not over. The war can only end when they are over,” Lt. Col. Lerner said. [hostages] When Hamas is gone, go home. ”

“We have reduced forces, but there are more operations that need to be carried out. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas' capabilities everywhere.”

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby said this appears to be a “rest and refurbishment” and “doesn't necessarily … indicate new operations for these forces going forward.”

But later Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops were leaving to “prepare for follow-on missions.”

He said their achievements in Khan Yunis were “extremely impressive,” adding that Hamas had ceased to function as a military organization across Gaza.

Israel has long warned of plans for a ground attack on the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.

Some evacuees expressed hope that they would soon be able to return to their remaining homes.

Mohammed al-Mughrabi, 32, from Gaza City, now living with his family in Rafah, told BBC News: “I am full of hope because my neighbor who was living in a tent from Khan Yunis has been able to return home.'' Told.

“Even though I know that my house is completely destroyed, I still dream of returning to my hometown every day. I want to pitch a tent on top of the rubble of my house and live there proudly, rather than being forced to live in a hospital courtyard.” “I think so,” he said.

International pressure for a cease-fire is mounting, with the United States, Israel's closest and strongest ally, saying earlier this week that continued support for the Gaza war would be an important step to shore up support and prevent civilian deaths. He warned that this would depend on “concrete, concrete measures.”

Six months into the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “close to victory” but insisted there would be no ceasefire without the release of Israeli hostages.

“The results of the war are significant. We have eliminated 19 of Hamas's 24 battalions, including senior commanders,” he said.

Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, demanding a deal to release hostages held in Gaza.

The anti-government demonstrators were joined by families of the hostages.

The rallies in Tel Aviv and other cities came hours after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the body of hostage Elad Katsir.

Organizers said 100,000 people took part in the protests in Tel Aviv, but other statistics put the number of participants at around 45,000.

Further demonstrations took place Sunday night, with thousands of people protesting in Jerusalem.