Israel departs from Gaza to “prepare for future operations”
Israel pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip on April 7th — six months after Hamas’s attack on October 7th — giving displaced Palestinians hope that they can return to their homes after residing in temporary shelters for months, reported the Arab Weekly and agencies.
Israel’s “98th commando division” left the city, and Gaza, “in order to recuperate and prepare for future operations,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) representative said.
Though the IDF is still focused on Rafah despite international pressures against a potentially disastrous offensive there. On March 18th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Israel was “determined” to continue ground assault in Rafah despite US President Joe Biden’s urging that to do so would be a “mistake.”
The IDF said a “significant force” would remain in the besieged territory, as Netanyahu said Israel was “one step away from victory.”
On April 8th, Egyptian media outlet Al-Qahera News reported that Israeli and Hamas delegations had made “significant progress” in Cairo peace talks. Netanyahu stressed that “there will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages.”
Netanyahu is under scrutiny in Israel for his lack of initiative in recovering hostages. On April 6th, thousands rallied in major cities — including Tel-Aviv — demanding “elections now” in direct criticism of the Netanyahu administration. Yair Lapid — Israel’s Leader of the Opposition — was among the protesters.
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Additional pressure has come from Biden, who, in a phone call with Netanyahu on April 4th, warned that continued US support of Israel hinges on improved conditions in Gaza. Israel is also anticipating a retaliatory attack from Iran following the bombing of the country’s embassy in Damascus.
Biden also said he wants to see a ceasefire, hostage release deal and ramped-up aid deliveries.
Hours after their conversation, Netanyahu said Israel would allow “temporary” aid flow through Erez and Ashdod.
Additionally, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned that the “prospect of famine is real” in Gaza, he said on April 7th. This is largely because of a shortage of aid — a problem that many charities have accused Israel of deliberately doing.
On April 7th, trucks entered the main aid entry point via Egypt’s Rafah crossing, distributing much-needed medical supplies for the first time through the Erez border point.
Most of Gaza’s hospitals no longer function. Al-Shifa — the territory’s largest hospital — was called “an empty shell with human graves” by World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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Vast areas of Gaza have turned into a rubble-strewn wasteland in the midst of the war.
An IDF official told the Haaretz Daily that Israel had dismantled Hamas’s presence in Khan Younis — the hometown of the group’s Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar — and killed thousands of its members.
He simply said, “We did everything we could there.”
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told ABC News that the US believes Israel’s partial withdrawal “is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months and not necessarily, that we can tell, indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.”
Similarly, Israeli security expert Omer Dostri said the withdrawal was “tactical” and did not mean the war was anywhere near over. He predicted that “within two months there will be a move in Rafah to destroy the remaining Hamas brigades.”
“Israel is ready for a deal,” said Netanyahu, addressing his cabinet. “Israel is not ready to surrender.”
The Arab Weekly and agencies
