Gaza War: Israel to withdraw some forces from conflict with Hamas to 're-energise' economy

According to an Israeli official, Israel is partially reintegrating reservists into civilian life to support the economy as the nation approaches the new year prepared for a protracted battle, and it is pulling some forces from Gaza to focus on more focused operations against Hamas.

The official stated that some of the troops being pulled out will be ready for a potential second front in Lebanon and that the conflict will go on in the Palestinian enclave until the Islamist faction is overthrown.

Following the cross-border Hamas rampage on October 7, Israeli leaders announced that they would commence the Gaza war, which they intended to carry out in three phases. The first involved heavy shelling to promote civilian evacuation and open up access points for ground forces. The second was the Hamas terrorist attack that took place on October 27.

Not only did Hamas massacre 1,200 individuals on October 7, but it also kidnapped about 240 more. Israel is also committed to liberating the remaining 129 detainees from Gaza. The possibility of some of them being released has increased because to truce negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

For the war, Israel called up 300,000 reservists, or 10% to 15% of its labour force. While some were promptly released from service, according to official sources, between 200,000 and 250,000 were still serving and not attending classes or employment.

Israel has threatened to launch a full-scale war in Lebanon if Hezbollah does not yield. Iran, whose allies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also begun launching longer-range attacks against Israel, supports both Hezbollah and Hamas.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has wreaked enormous destruction in Gaza; the health ministry has reported around 22,000 deaths, many of them civilian. Israel claims to have killed over 8,000 Palestinian combatants, implying that Hamas still has key members according to its own calculations. Israeli estimates prior to the war placed the group’s combat strength at about 30,000.

In a move described as a “reconfiguration” of forces by top commander Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military declared on Saturday that it was returning some reservists home.

Nine soldiers were killed on the Lebanese border and 174 soldiers, many of them reservists, were reported killed in battle in Gaza by Israel.

(With agency inputs)