Switch to Low-Intensity Combat Instead of High-Intensity All-Out War
US Secretary of State to Visit Israel Around the 5th
The Israeli military announced on the 1st (local time) that it will withdraw thousands of troops from the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
According to major foreign media on the day, the Israeli military announced that it plans to withdraw five brigades, totaling thousands of troops, from the Gaza Strip within the next few weeks. Some of the withdrawing troops will return to bases for additional training or rest, while reservists will go back home.
This troop withdrawal comes as Israel prepares to shift to a precision strike-focused low-intensity military operation amid U.S. pressure to minimize civilian casualties. The U.S. has been urging Israel to transition from a high-intensity full-scale war to low-intensity combat. Around the 5th, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is expected to be urgently dispatched to Israel.
Foreign media reported that this troop withdrawal will pave the way for a prolonged low-intensity conflict.
Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, stated that the Israeli military is preparing for a long-term battle that will continue throughout this year. He also explained that some of the 300,000 reservists will gradually be withdrawn.
This troop withdrawal came on the same day that the Israeli Supreme Court invalidated key legislation aimed at "disempowering the judiciary," which had been pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who returned to power at the end of 2022, pushed forward judicial reform legislation that significantly reduced the judiciary's authority, leading to massive anti-government protests and severe turmoil in Israel. Analysts suggest that this judicial reform plan caused division in Israel and that the ensuing chaos provided an opportunity for Hamas's surprise attack in October last year and Israel's inadequate response.
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