The Israeli military announced Sunday that it has withdrawn most troops from southern Gaza, with the exception of one brigade. The announcement comes six months since Israel launched its offensive to destroy Hamas after it was invaded by the terrorist group.
The Israel Defense Forces is disengaging its 98th commando division “to recuperate and prepare for future operations,” it said in a statement, NBC News reported. It left behind the Nahal brigade and the 162nd division, a still significant military presence that will continue to “operate in the Gaza Strip, and will preserve the IDF’s freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence based operations.”
Prior to the removal of some soldiers, Israel had been preparing to invade Rafah, a Gazan city on the Egyptian border, which its leaders have viewed as strategic for eliminating Hamas’s control over the territory. The Biden administration has attempted to discourage this plan. In March, Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview with ABC News claimed that she had “studied the maps” and decided that Israel’s plan to evacuate civilians from the area wasn’t feasible, suggesting there could be “consequences” for Israel if it proceeds.
It was revealed last week that President Joe Biden urged Egypt and Qatar to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a hostage deal with Israel, according to multiple reports citing a senior administration official. On Monday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to meet with hostage families as Biden deploys CIA Director William Burns to Cairo to hold talks about the hostage situation.
Burns will be negotiating with top Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari officials in an attempt to secure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas, Axios reported. A delegation from Hamas is also supposed to participate in the Cairo meeting on Sunday, NBC News reported.
Biden also last week implored Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to an “immediate ceasefire” agreement with Hamas as well as other action to minimize civilian casualties, making continued U.S. aid for Israel potentially contingent on such steps. His demand came after an IDF strike killed seven aid workers of the World Central Kitchen who were distributing food in Gaza, an incident which Netanyahu said was an accident.
“He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers,” the White House said in a statement following the call. “He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”
“He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home,” the statement continued.
Netanyahu said his government was investigating the matter fully and is taking constructive action to prevent such a tragedy from repeating.
Since Hamas massacred over 1,200 Israelis and abducted over 250 Israelis on October 7 in the most brutal attack on the Jews since the Holocaust, the IDF has conducted a large military operation in Gaza, focusing on the south of the Strip.
The Democratic party’s progressive flank has prodded Biden to condemn and abandon U.S. support for Israel. In March, the U.S. refused to use its veto power to shoot down a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, allowing it to pass. Hamas still holds 130 hostages.