Israel is pulling thousands of troops from Gaza to refocus attention on southern city

Thousands of Israeli soldiers are being shifted out of the Gaza Strip, the military said Monday, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the war began as forces continued to bear down on the main city in the southern half of the enclave.

The troop movement could signal that fighting is being scaled back in some areas of Gaza, particularly in the northern half where the military has said it is close to assuming operational control, but fighting will continue throughout 2024, according to an IDF spokesperson.

"[The movement] will significantly ease the burden on the economy and allow them to gather strength for the upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will continue and they will still be required," IDF Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in a press briefing on 31 December.

"These adaptations are designed to ensure planning and preparation for the continuation of 2024, as the IDF must plan ahead, understanding that we will be required for additional tasks and warfare throughout this year."

Israel has been under pressure from its chief ally, the United States, to begin to switch to lower-intensity fighting.

Word of the drawdown came ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region and after the Biden administration bypassed Congress for the second time this month to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel.

But fierce fighting continued in other areas of Gaza, especially the southern city Khan Younis and central areas of the territory.

Israel has pledged to charge ahead until its war aims have been achieved, including dismantling Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years.

The military said in a statement Monday that five brigades, or several thousand troops, were being taken out of Gaza in the coming weeks for training and rest.

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas’ military and governing capabilities in its war, which was sparked by the militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people.

Israel has since responded with a blistering air, ground and sea offensive that has killed more than 21,800 people in Gaza, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.

The war has displaced some 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, sending swells of people seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed.

Palestinians are left with a sense that nowhere is safe in the tiny enclave.

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