Only one infantry brigade and one armored division will remain in Gaza after the withdrawals are complete.
Topline
Israeli troops are withdrawing from Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Force confirmed to Reuters on Sunday, raising the prospect Israel may back away from its controversial planned ground invasion into Rafah, the city where over one million Palestinians sought refuge after the war began.Key Facts
The IDF said it had “concluded its mission” in Khan Yunis and withdrew all remaining brigades of soldiers, leaving only the Nahal Brigade and the 162nd Division of the Armored Corps stationed in the Netzarim Corridor, which divides Gaza between the North and South.
The retreating soldiers will “recuperate and prepare for future operations”—which may mean the military is preparing for future conflicts with Iran, who accused Israel of bombing their consulate in Damascus last week, or Hezbollah, who Israel attacked with drone strikes on Saturday.
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes, but reporters at multiple outlets confirmed troop and vehicle movements leaving the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Israel previously pulled most of its troops out of northern Gaza in January, but continued “targeted” operations in the region—including a weeks-long raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City that concluded last week.
On Sunday, the White House national security spokesperson John Kirby he believes the withdrawal was designed to provide “rest and refit” for the ground troops in Gaza, and was not necessarily “indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.
