Israel's military command announced this Monday (1ᵒ) the withdrawal of thousands of troops from Gaza, at least temporarily, marking the most significant publicly declared retreat since the start of the conflict. The information was released by the North American newspaper The New York Times.
The reason given is the growing impact on the Israeli economy after almost three months of wartime mobilization, with no clear prospects for a ceasefire. Israel had already been contemplating reducing its operations, which added to pressure from the United States for a faster response to the rising death toll in Gaza, the newspaper reports. According to local health authorities, more than 20,000 people have died since the conflict began.
Israeli Armed Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said the decision to demobilize part of the troops does not represent any commitment by Israel not to continue fighting. But he did not address American pressure, even indicating that some soldiers will be called up again this year.
The New York Times also reports that, according to an official statement, reservists from at least two brigades will be released this week, while three others will undergo training. The size of the brigades varies, reaching around 4 thousand soldiers. The total number of troops deployed to Gaza by the Israeli army remains undisclosed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to return to Israel for further talks on the war, according to US government sources, after meeting with an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week in Washington, along with with Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor.
Israel's offensive against Hamas has lasted almost three months and has resulted in the mobilization of more than 350 thousand reservists. According to the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, a nonpartisan research center in Israel, the Israeli economy expected to shrink 2% this quarteras many left their jobs to work on the reservation or abandoned businesses in their hometowns.
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