Israel war on Gaza: The Israeli military said on Monday that it will start removing thousands of soldiers from Gaza this week to prepare for a new phase of the conflict. However, a senior official cautioned that he anticipated that fighting would persist throughout the year.

The Israel Defense Forces’ statement, which came after the military declared it was extending operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, represented the largest known troop withdrawal from the region since the war against Hamas started.

According to a top US official, the action on Monday indicates that the nation is progressively transitioning to a less intense stage of its conflict. This week, the IDF said in a statement, that the reservist-heavy 551st and 14th brigades will return to their civilian lives and families.

According to the IDF, the 460th brigade, which trains the armored corps, the 261st brigade, which trains army officers, and the 828th brigade, which trains squad commanders, will resume their regularly scheduled training.

The troops will be able to “gather strength for upcoming activities in the next year and their services will still be needed” and the move is expected to “significantly alleviate economic burdens.”

IDF

According to the statement, the troops will be able to “gather strength for upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will persist. The reservists’ return is intended to ensure “planning and preparation for the continuation of 2024… understanding that we will be required for additional tasks and warfare throughout this year,” according to IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, who announced during a Sunday briefing.” He went on, to say that the war’s goals “require prolonged fighting.”

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Israel’s ground operation is now concentrated in the center and south of the Strip, but fighting is still going on in the north, where the UN estimates that between 52% and 65% of the structures have been damaged and 46,000 housing units have been destroyed.

Last week, the IDF expanded its operations into the southern Gazan neighborhood of Khan Younis. Following the IDF’s warning to residents in various parts of central Gaza that they must leave immediately, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) issued a warning on Thursday.

After 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’s surprise attacks on October 7, according to Israeli authorities, Israel wants to destroy the Palestinian militant group and return the hostages it has taken. Israel’s Army Radio, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel’s war in Gaza is at its “highest level and will continue for months.”