JERUSALEM: Israeli media reported on Sunday that the Israeli army had withdrawn from the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
“The 98th Division, with its three brigades, withdrew from Khan Younis last night after the end of the operation there after fighting that lasted four months,” Anadolu Agency reported citing Army Radio.
It added that there is only one brigade left in Gaza, the Nahal Brigade, which is responsible for securing the corridor established by the Israeli army to prevent Gazans from returning to the north.
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources told Anadolu that Israeli army forces retreated from all western areas of the city of Khan Younis while they remained stationed east of the city.
It also quoted Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the maneuvering Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip except for those in Gaza City to prevent the return of the Palestinians to the north.
The Israeli military ground operation began in Khan Younis on Dec 3 with the aim of recovering Israeli hostages held by the Hamas.
However, based on the army’s claims, the Israeli forces left the city without achieving its goals.
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, last year, killing nearly 33,200 Palestinians and injuring almost 75,900 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The regime has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza. – Bernama, Anadolu
