The withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza announced last Sunday was met with widespread surprise, although the Israeli army and government try to emphasize that it is of little consequence, as they say it is merely a move to regroup the military forces. before the final attack.
On the other hand, according to the BBC, the fact that there was now only one Israeli Armed Forces brigade left in the entire Gaza Strip is for much of the world proof of a change in Israel’s strategy.
This was compounded by the timing of the announcement – the day it marked six months since a Hamas attack on Israel sparked this latest and bloodiest phase in the conflict between the country and the Palestinians.
The scenarios for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza
“Don’t read too much into it,” a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister’s office told reporters the day after the withdrawal was announced. Avi Hyman emphasized how short the distances are and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to be able to carry out any action they deem necessary within the enclave, with or without troops stationed in Gaza.
Proof came hours later when the Israeli military said it had “eliminated” a senior Hamas official, Hatem al-Ghamri, in an airstrike.
The Israeli media, however, saw the news of the withdrawal very differently.
In the right-wing and highly popular newspaper, Israel Hayom, diplomatic correspondent Ariel Kahana linked the troop withdrawal to pressure on the Israeli government to agree to a cease-fire deal with Hamas in the latest round of talks.
“The standard reasons given by Israeli representatives for stopping the war were operational in nature, but any intelligent person can see that the timing is far from accidental. Ahead of crucial talks, the Israeli capitulation was designed to signal to Hamas that Israel was open to negotiations from its perspective.”
For his part, Ben Caspit in the more centrist newspaper Maariv went a step further in interpreting the troop withdrawal move.
“If you were to ask Netanyahu, this was done to prepare for the promised operation in Rafah. But there is a second explanation, one that has been reported all over the world and in every possible language. The withdrawal of the 98th Division from Khan Yunis is linked to talks on a hostage deal.
The crisis in US-Israel relations
“Serious media around the world reported that the conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu was dramatic. “Biden made Netanyahu understand that he was actually not one step away from victory, but one step away from the final destruction of the alliance between Israel and the United States,” the journalist added.
Of course, as the BBC also reports, at least publicly, Mr. Netanyahu continued to intensify his rhetoric about the attack on Rafa, saying that a date has been set for the operation. His defense minister, Yoav Gallant, was more nuanced, telling army recruits that now was the “moment of opportunity” to strike a deal with Hamas.
But he emphasized that the ceasefire will not be the end of the war: “There will be difficult decisions and we will be ready to pay the price to take back the hostages and then return to the fighting.”
The fighting is likely to continue, Mr Gallant says, but the form the war takes may change substantially. As criticism of the conduct of the war mounts from Israel’s most powerful ally, the US, the withdrawal of forces in Gaza seems likely in part to show the Biden administration that Israel is listening to its concerns about casualties civilians.
“Further Businesses”
As for the “further operations” referred to by Israeli military officials, they may also relate to the conflict on Israel’s northern front with Hezbollah in Lebanon. That standoff has been steadily escalating since October 7, and there are fears it could become much more intense, following an Israeli strike in Damascus that killed several senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders last week.
It is recalled that Hezbollah is a close ally of Iran and has matched the rhetoric of Tehran, which vows revenge. The Israeli military recently reported that it has substantially strengthened its Northern Command. Thus, this factor may also have played a role in the withdrawal of troops from Gaza.
Whatever the true motivations – and there are likely several interrelated factors involved – it is unlikely that Israel’s military involvement in Gaza is nearing an end, as Hamas fighters have already shown their ability to regroup in heavily battered areas. attack by the IDF.
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