Middle East
Israel withdraws troops from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip
Debris and destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis after an Israeli airstrike. photo
© Ahmed Zakot/dpa
The Israeli army ended its operation in Khan Yunis and left the area. However, it is unclear whether this represents a turning point in the war or a new intermediate stage.
The Israeli army said it had withdrawn its troops from the southern city of Khan Yunis on Sunday Gaza Strip withdrawn. “The 98th Commando Detachment has completed its deployment in Khan Yunis,” the army said in a statement. She left the Gaza Strip “to recover and prepare for further operations.”
However, significant troops remain in the Gaza Strip “and will preserve the Israeli army’s freedom of action and its ability to carry out precise operations based on intelligence,” it said.
It was initially unclear whether the withdrawal from Khan Yunis marked an important turning point in the war or a new intermediate stage on the way to a possible deployment in the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. The army announced on Saturday that the body of a hostage had been recovered in Khan Yunis. The city is considered an important base of the Islamist Hamas.