Gallant said the end of the intensive ground operation meant the transition to a new phase of the war (Reuters)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Monday evening that the intensive ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip has ended, and soon will end in the south as well, after the Israeli army announced the transfer of the Dovdovan unit from the Strip to the occupied West Bank and the withdrawal of the 36th Division, which includes the Golani Brigade.
Galant added – in a press conference on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the war – that he presented a plan at the beginning of the war that stipulated that the phase of intensive ground maneuvers will last about 3 months, stressing that it ended in northern Gaza.
He added that the Israeli army will reach the stage of ending intensive ground operations in the south soon, and then moving to the next stage of the war, the nature or duration of which he did not elaborate, nor did he say whether the end of intensive ground operations in the Gaza Strip means withdrawing from it.
The Israeli defense minister claimed that the occupation army dismantled all the regional capabilities of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), adding that they are working to dismantle the movement's military industry in the central Gaza Strip.
He pointed out that the Israeli army still has stages to go through in the axes of fighting from Khan Yunis to Rafah, above and below the ground.
Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida denied the Israeli army's announcement of the destruction of military structures in the central Gaza Strip.
Governing Gaza
On the future governance of Gaza, Gallant said that the Palestinians live in it, and therefore the Palestinians will rule it in the future.
But he added that the future system of government in Gaza must be from within the Strip, based on forces that are not hostile to the state of Israel and constitute a civilian alternative that cares about the welfare of the people of Gaza.
Detainee file
Regarding the release of prisoners, Gallant stressed that they can only be released from a position of strength, adding that if the shooting stops, their fate will be decided, which is to remain for years in Hamas captivity.
Gallant considered that military pressure is what will achieve the goals of the war, stressing that the current year 2024 will be the "year of war."
It is noteworthy that the Israeli army failed to recover any detainees through military operations in the Gaza Strip, and some of its operations resulted in the deaths of detainees, and Israel recovered 110 prisoners through the exchange deal during the temporary truce.
Source : Al Jazeera + Anatolia