The Israeli army has withdrawn all its ground forces from the southern Gaza Strip except for one brigade, an army spokesman said on Sunday.
The military did not immediately provide further details. It is not clear whether the withdrawal will delay the army’s entry into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israeli leaders have said is needed to eliminate the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
The withdrawal came at a time when Egypt is preparing a new round of negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, has in recent months focused on the south of the coastal Palestinian enclave.
Rafah has become the last refuge for more than a million Palestinians who took refuge in the area near the border with Egypt.
More than 250 people were kidnapped and about 1,200 killed during the October 7 attack, according to Israeli figures. More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israeli brigades usually consist of several thousand soldiers.
