On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew the bulk of its maneuver forces from south Gaza, leaving one brigade in place to hold a corridor effectively cutting the enclave in half. The use of heavier units is expected to be replaced by smaller, narrowly focused operations and raids.
Troops of the 98th Division were pulled out of the Khan Younis area after four straight months of fighting, the IDF said.
Only one brigade, Nahal, remains in the Gaza Strip. The Nahal Brigade has been tasked with securing the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which crosses Gaza from the Be’eri area in southern Israel to the Strip’s coast.
The corridor enables the IDF to carry out raids in northern and central Gaza, prevents Palestinians from returning to the northern part of the Strip, and allows humanitarian organizations to deliver aid directly to northern Gaza.
Hours after the withdrawal, five…
