The Israeli military leadership announced the withdrawal of troops from the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip this weekend, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed that his country is “a step away from victory”.
Commenting on these developments, Ankara-based security and political analyst Dr. Hasan Selim Ozertem speculated that the Israeli forces have likely completed the “necessary search” operations in Khan Younis and, with virtually all the buildings in the area flattened, there is no reason for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to be there.
“These moves look more tactical, than moves of concession or compromise. Because on the one hand, in the negotiations in Cairo, there is no certain or serious progress going on between Hamas and Israeli representatives,” Dr. Ozertem told Sputnik. “On the other hand, what should we be watching for? First of all, the next move of Israel in Rafah.”
According to him, the Israeli withdrawal may herald the preparations for an attack on Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sought refuge amid Israel’s invasion.
“Withdrawing from Khan Younis may help some civilians to come back to their homes, decreasing the number of civilians over there. So, this may also help to reduce the civilian casualties in a possible operation in Rafah,” Dr. Ozertem suggested.
He also noted that Israel might have conducted this troop withdrawal in anticipation of possible reprisals from Iran in response to the recent Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
“It is a positive signal, maybe Israel is trying to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East by withdrawing some of its troops preparing for an Iranian attack. So, it's more of a tactical move than a concession for a peace deal,” the analyst added. “Moreover, looking at the Netanyahu statements or other top Israeli officials, they already say that Rafah will be the next target. And Israel is looking for a deal, not for a surrender. So in that regard, this is just a kind of a military tactical decision.”