According to the Associated Press on January 1**, the Israeli military confirmed on the 1st that it will withdraw thousands of troops from the Gaza Strip, a move that may be in preparation for the shift from low-intensity long-term fighting to the operation against Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been emphasizing that he will continue to launch a military offensive until Hamas is defeated and more than 100 people detained by the group are released, the report said.
It is reported that the military operation has led to nearly 2Against the backdrop of 20,000 Palestinian deaths, Israel is facing increasing pressure from the international community to reduce the intensity of its military operations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is expected to visit the region next week, has repeatedly urged Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that five brigades, or thousands, would be withdrawn from Gaza in the coming weeks. Some of the service will return to base for training or recuperation, and many of the older reservists will return home.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari did not explain whether the withdrawal of part of the army would mean a new phase of the war.
Israel says that Israeli forces have almost complete control of northern Gaza, and that troop requirements in the area have been reduced. However, heavy fighting continues in other parts of Gaza, particularly in southern Gaza, where Hamas forces have retained their strength, with most of Gaza's 2.3 million people fleeing to the south.