According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, the Israeli military has reportedly started to completely evacuate a large security area in the center Gaza Strip as part of a cease-fire deal with Hamas.
As the two parties consider extending the agreement that would end the war and free the remaining Israeli hostages, the retreat, which started overnight on Saturday and Sunday, leaves Israel with a minimal footprint within the enclave.
As it gets ready to enter the next stage of cease-fire negotiations, Israel loses a negotiating advantage when it leaves the east-west Netzarim corridor, which Israeli forces utilized to partition the area, regulate population movements, and ease troop movements around the enclave.
The corridor’s growing footprint during the conflict was interpreted by Palestinians as proof that Israel intended to occupy Gaza for an extended period of time.
According to Israeli military analysts, if the military so desired, it could reclaim the area.
Israel Katz, the defense minister, also announced on Sunday that the military was extending a counterterrorism operation that has been underway for weeks in the northern West Bank.
According to Palestinian authorities, one of the people slain by the Israeli soldiers on Sunday was a pregnant lady. According to the Israeli military, a criminal investigation into her death has been launched.
Later, the operation was extended to the city of Tulkarem and, on Sunday, to the neighboring refugee camp of Nur Shams after starting at the Jenin refugee camp in late January.
The effort has been extremely devastating, with Israeli troops demolishing structures inside crowded districts through controlled demolitions.
On Sunday, Palestinians started to move into parts of Gaza from which Israel had recently withdrew.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, Israeli forces opened fire on a gathering of Palestinians approaching the Israeli border east of Gaza City, killing three and injuring many.
According to Israel’s military, the gathering was hundreds of meters away from its soldiers, and they fired warning shots and repositioned cars toward them.
President Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans from the enclave to aid in its reconstruction was rejected by Hamas and Arab leaders throughout the region, prompting discussions for the second phase of the cease-fire agreement.
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