In an announcement that reflects the impact that President Biden had on Israel's right-wing leader Bibi "Bomb Bomb" Netanyahu, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has halted its military actions in southern Gaza and is withdrawing from the area. In a forceful phone conversation between the two leaders, Biden insisted that Israel allow far more humanitarian aid into Gaza and limit its military operations so as not to inflict more injuries and death on civilians and humanitarian workers. Seven World Central Kitchen volunteers were killed last week in an Israeli air strike, despite being in clearly market vehicles and getting clearance in advance from the IDF. From the Jerusalem Post:
"The IDF on Sunday announced that it had concluded the active invasion stage of the war for now while leaving open the possibility of a future new invasion of Rafah in deep southern Gaza.
In terms of IDF soldiers, this means that the IDF has withdrawn all of Division 98 from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza while maintaining one plus brigades - the Nahal brigade and portions of Brigade 401 – in northern and central Gaza.
Although a top IDF official said that this change had nothing to do with US pressure, the timing was unmistakable in coming right after the IDF’s disastrous mistaken killing of seven humanitarian aid workers last week.
The decision also came less than two days after Israel opened the Erez Crossing and Ashdod port to transfer humanitarian aid, decisions made under threat by the US of potentially losing weapons support after Jerusalem had refused these requests from Washington for months.
Critically, this means that Palestinians can, on one hand, move freely within southern Gaza and Khan Yunis and that there is a complete vacuum for preventing a return of Hamas governance, but the IDF is keeping northern and central Gaza cut off from the south." (our emphasis)
The movement of Palestinians between the northern part and southern part of Gaza is not part of the action, effectively cutting Gaza in half. It remains to be seen whether the Hamas terrorists will begin the release of hostages in response to the IDF's withdrawal.
