Gaza

Israel on Monday withdrew tanks from parts of Gaza City, announcing plans to change tactics and cut the number of soldiers in the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters. Israel has also hinted that a new phase is underway in the offensive that has been going on since October 7, 2023. “This appears to be the beginning of a gradual shift to less intense operations in the north, as we have been calling for,” an unnamed US official told Reuters. This is possible because of the Israeli military’s progress in fighting Hamas and its military capabilities, the source said. There will be a shift to a months-long operation focused on “sweeping up”, an Israeli official added.
     While some tanks have rolled out of Gaza City, fighting raged on Monday elsewhere in the Palestinian territory. This applies to both the north and south of the Gaza Strip. /ritzau/