Israeli army pulls all troops from southern Gaza
IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi vowed that the army would continue its fighting in Gaza, saying 'we are far from stopping'
The Israeli army announced it was pulling all ground forces from southern Gaza on Sunday, leaving just one brigade in place.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his claim that Israel is “a step away from victory,” despite Hamas resurfacing in northern Gaza, and four Hamas battalions remaining in Rafah.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant applauded the “achievements” made by the IDF’s Division 98 and its units as they pulled out of southern Gaza.
“They have eliminated terrorists and destroyed terror targets including warehouses, weapons, headquarters, communication centres and more. Their activities enabled the dismantling of Hamas as a functioning military unit in this area,” Gallant said.
“Our forces are going to prepare for their follow-up missions. We saw examples of such missions in Al Shifa hospital, and (will see) such missions in the Rafah area. We will reach a point when Hamas no longer controls the Gaza Strip and does not function as a military framework that poses a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” he added.
IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi also vowed that the army would continue its fighting in Gaza, saying “we are far from stopping.”
“Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later. We are making progress, continuing to kill more terrorists and commanders and destroy more terror infrastructures, including last night. We will not leave Hamas brigades active in any part of the Strip. We have plans and we will act when we decide,” he added.
As speculation mounted over the looming ground offensive in Rafah, which has brought Israel and the U.S. on collision course, Netanyahu repeated that the IDF will enter the southernmost city.
“We are determined to achieve total victory, to return all of our hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip including Rafah and to ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,” he said.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
