Israel Withdraws Two Reserve Brigades From Gaza

Jerusalem, 28 January, 2024 (TPS) -- It was cleared for publication on Sunday that two reserve brigades of the Israel Defense Forces completed their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

One reserve brigade is expected to join the fighting in Khan Yunis in the coming days.

When the deployment process is completed, there will be five combat brigades in Khan Yunis, compared to the seven that were there until a few weeks ago.

Israeli forces are strengthening their operational control over Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-largest city. It is also regarded as a personal stronghold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whose family lives there. Israeli ground forces completed the encirclement of Khan Yunis on Tuesday.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children and soldiers held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 136.