In a significant development, the Israeli military revealed its plans Monday to initiate a partial withdrawal of several thousand troops from the Gaza Strip. This move comes as a response to the economic toll that nearly three months of sustained wartime mobilization has taken on Israel.
While it marks a noteworthy shift in the ongoing conflict, the Israeli military maintains its commitment to the fight, with the possibility of some soldiers being called back to service in the future, according to The New York Times.
This move also aligns with ongoing discussions between Israel and the U.S., where the latter has been encouraging Israel to scale back its operations as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, surpassing 20,000, according to local health authorities.
As part of this partial withdrawal, reservists from two Israeli brigades are expected to return home in the coming week. Additionally, three brigades will undergo training as part of this transition. The Israeli military anticipates that this decision will significantly alleviate economic burdens that have accumulated during the conflict.
This development also comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is scheduled to return to Israel in early January for further discussions regarding the ongoing war. These discussions aim to pivot to a different phase of the conflict, with a focus on targeting high-value Hamas targets.
Israel initiated its campaign against Hamas following an attack by the Palestinian armed group that resulted in 1,200 casualties in Israel and over 240 individuals taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a campaign with the aim of toppling Hamas’s rule in Gaza, mobilizing over 350,000 reservists for the war effort.
While Israeli leaders continue to prepare for a protracted military campaign, the possibility of transitioning to a new phase of the war, characterized by more targeted attacks against Hamas, is being considered.
It is important to note that this content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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