Turning point in the Middle East war?

South Gaza: Israel withdraws most of its troops

Israeli soldiers with armored vehicles in the Gaza Strip (archive photo)(Bild: AFP)

On Sunday, exactly six months after the bloody attack by the Islamist Hamas, Israel said it had withdrawn its troops from the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The 98th commando division has ended its deployment there, according to an army statement. It is now to "recover and prepare for further operations".

The Israeli military also said on Sunday that substantial troops would remain in the Gaza Strip.

"They will preserve the Israeli army's freedom of action and its ability to carry out precise operations based on intelligence information."

Turning point in the war?
It is still unclear whether the withdrawal from Khan Younis represents an important turning point in the war or a new intermediate stage on the way to a possible operation in the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. The army announced on Saturday that the body of a hostage had been recovered in Khan Younis. The city is considered an important base of the Islamist Hamas.

Air strikes on eastern Lebanon
Israel had previously carried out airstrikes on the east of Lebanon on Sunday, a stronghold of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia. The attacks were a "retaliatory measure" for the shooting down of an Israeli drone, the Israeli army explained. Israel's attacks were also confirmed by those close to Hezbollah. Meanwhile, according to the Israeli military, four more soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip.

+1

Fotos

Schallenberg calls for "humanitarian pause"
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on X Sunday morning: "Six terrible months since the attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, which has caused unbearable human suffering for Israeli and Palestinian civilians. It is high time for a humanitarian pause! Hamas must release all hostages. More aid must reach Gaza. Humanitarian law is non-negotiable."

Authority: Already more than 33,000 dead 
Meanwhile, the number of people killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 33,175, according to the Palestinian health authority. At least 75,886 Palestinians were also injured, according to the Palestinian side. In the past 24 hours alone, 38 people have been killed and 71 injured.

The United Nations has repeatedly described the authority's figures as realistic. However, the number of victims could be much higher because many people are missing and numerous dead bodies are buried under the rubble of destroyed houses.