JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli army has withdrawn all ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip except one brigade, a military spokesman said on Sunday.
The military did not immediately provide further details. It was unclear whether the withdrawal would delay a long-threatened incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah that Israeli leaders have said was necessary to eliminate Hamas.
The withdrawal comes as Egypt prepares to host a new round of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attack on Israel six months ago, on October 7, has concentrated in recent months in the south of the Palestinian enclave.
Rafah has become the last refuge for more than a million Palestinian refugees in the territory near the border with Egypt.
According to Israeli counts, more than 250 hostages were taken and about 1,200 people killed during the October 7 attack. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive.
An Israeli brigade is generally made up of a few thousand soldiers.