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Picture courtesy: Getty source image
Mavhungunekuvule Mungomeni
On Sunday, April 7th, Israel’s military confirmed that it was reducing its numbers of soldiers in southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the area. However, this comes after the deaths of seven people working for the food aid charity World Central Kitchen who were killed on Monday, April 1st, by Israeli airstrikes, which, by the way, Israel insisted was a grave mistake on their behalf.
According to the Lipika Pelham report, the military stressed that a significant force would remain in Gaza. This is another stage in the war effort. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said that the pull-out is being interpreted as tactical rather than a sign that the war may be moving closer to its end. It is six months to the day since Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel says that of the 130 hostages still in Gaza, at least 34 are dead. More than 33,000 Gazans have been killed in Israel’s offensive in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says, the majority of them civilians. Gaza is on the brink of famine, with Oxfam reporting that 300,000 people trapped in the north have lived since January on an average of 245 calories.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt Col Peter Lerner said, “Troops would rotate out because the military had completed its mission in Khan Younis. Khan Younis has been under Israeli bombardment for months, and the city and surrounding area are largely destroyed.The war is not over. The war can only be over when the hostages come home and Hamas is gone. There is a decline in the forces, but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas’s capabilities wherever they are.”
Lt Col. Lerner said that the US National Security spokesperson John Kirby said, “It appeared to be a rest and refit and not necessarily indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.” However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops were leaving to prepare for their follow-up missions. He added that their achievements in Khan Younis were extremely impressive, and Hamas had ceased to function as a military organization throughout Gaza. Israel has long warned of a planned ground offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
The deaths of aid workers seem like they may be the hope for the war to end with the new changes that Israel has added after the incident. Some of the displaced expressed hope that they would soon be able to return to what remains of their homes and live without the fear of losing their lives.
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