LANDMIDDLE EASTWAR Israel Withdrawing Thousands of Troops From Gaza: Official

JOE SABALLA

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will pull out thousands of its troops from the Gaza Strip as its war with Hamas has reportedly taken a significant toll on the country’s economy.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced Monday that five brigades of several thousand regular troops and reservists will return to their bases to rest or undergo further combat training.

Many older reservists will go home to be with their families after almost three months of battling Hamas militants.

According to Hagari, the armed conflict has negatively affected Israel’s economy as many of its reservists could not go to their regular jobs, run their businesses, or attend school.

“This will significantly ease the burden on the economy and allow them to gather strength for the upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will continue and they will still be required,” he told reporters.

Shift to Lower-Intensity War?

Israel’s decision to pull out troops from Gaza came after the US called for a scaled-down offensive against Hamas to reduce civilian casualties.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said last month that the increasing number of civilian deaths in Gaza has fueled global concerns about the war.

“I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives – not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful,” US President Joe Biden added.

Although Hagari did not clarify if the withdrawal is an effect of growing US pressure, a retired IDF official previously in charge of strategic planning claimed that the move could indeed signal a shift in the way Israel is conducting the war.

“The war is not stopping,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is the beginning of a different mode of operations.”

Final Phase of War

When Israel declared war on Hamas in October 2023, several Israeli military officials disclosed that the armed conflict would have three main phases.

The first phase involved intense shelling to clear access routes for combat teams, while the second would see the IDF fully invading the Gaza Strip through ground and aerial assault.

Now, Israel is reportedly entering the third and final phase, which will involve “intense mopping-up missions against the terrorists.”

“This will take six months at least… No one is talking about doves of peace being flown from Shujayea [district],” an unnamed IDF official told reporters.