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Israel withdraws troops to 're-energise' but pledges war will last the whole of 2024
Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip receive treatment at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Southern Gaza Strip

ISRAEL shifted several thousand soldiers out of Gaza yesterday in what it described as a “drawdown” of troops — but its army warned at the same time it intended to continue the war for the whole of 2024.

Troops continued fighting in Khan Younis, the second-largest city in Gaza, while in the north the army claimed it was close to achieving operational control. Bombs continued to rain on neighbourhoods across the impoverished strip, held under crippling siege by Israel since 2007, killing scores.

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops were merely being withdrawn in order to regroup and “re-energise,” and adjusting deployments was necessary given the army was preparing for a prolonged war.

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