Israel withdraws more troops from southern Gaza as war reaches 6-month mark

The devastating war between Israel and Hamas reached its six-month mark on Sunday, with Israel announcing it had withdrawn more soldiers from southern Gazaleaving just one brigade and the two sides sending teams to Egypt for fresh talks over a potential ceasefire.

Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from its ally the United States to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last week's killing of seven aid workers.

An Israeli military spokesperson did not give details on the reasons for withdrawing soldiers or the numbers involved.But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops will be preparing for future operations in Gaza.

Both Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant groupthat controls Gaza, confirmed they were sending delegations to Egypt for the latest round of ceasefire talks.

Hamas wants any deal to bring about an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces. It also says an agreement must include freedom of movement of residents across the Gaza Strip.

WATCH | Israel under fire after deadly strike on aid workers:

Israel says killed aid worker was mistaken for Hamas militant

6 months ago

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Israel says it fired two military officers and reprimanded others after an Israeli drone killed a group of aid workers in Gaza. It released details about how the drone strikes played out, mistaking one of the aid workers as a Hamas militant. Critics say Israel isn't doing enough to protect innocent lives.

Israel has said thatafter any truce, it would topple Hamas, which is sworn to its destruction. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting, said any deal must include the release of hostages still being held in Gazaand that Hamas's unreasonable demands were the obstacle.

"Giving in to Hamas's demands will allow it to repeat the crimes of Oct. 7 again and again, as it has promised to do," he said.

More than 250 hostages were seized and some 1,200 peoplemostly civilians were killed during Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. The ministrydoesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says two-thirds of the dead are children and women.

Israelsays troops preparing forRafahoperation

About 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Asked about troop withdrawals from the enclave, Israel's Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi told reporters that the military was adapting its methods to what has been and will be a long war.

Gallant said Israel will press on with the war until Hamas no longer controls Gaza or threatens Israel as a military group.

"The forces are exiting and preparing for their next missions," the defence ministersaid at a meeting with military officials, according to a statement from his office, and "also their coming mission in the Rafah area."

Israel says an incursion into the Rafah area, near the border with Egypt, is needed to eliminate Hamas, but anxious foreign powers have said it could exact an unacceptable toll on civilians, with more than a million people sheltering there.

Israel says it will evacuate civilians before launching an incursion.

Palestinian residents of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, which has come under Israeli bombardment in recent months, said they had seen Israeli forces leaving the centre of the city and retreating to the eastern districts.

Medics said they found at least 12 Palestinian bodies in the area. Some residents from Khan Younis, who have been sheltering in Rafah, began returning to their neighbourhoods after the Israeli troops left.

"It seems at the end it may be a happy Eid," said Imad Joudat, 55, who lives with his eight-member family in a tent in Rafah, referring to the upcoming Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

"The occupation withdrew forces from Khan Younis, the Americans are pressuring after some foreigners were killed and Egypt is holding a big round with the Americans, the Israelis, Hamas and Qatar," Joudat told Reuters via a chat app. "This time we are hopeful."

In a statement marking six months of war, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that "humanity has been all but abandoned" in Gaza.

The United Nationsand partners now warn of "imminent famine" for more than one million people in Gaza as humanitarian workers urge Israel to loosen restrictions on the delivery of aid over land the only way to meet soaring needs that have forced some Palestinians to foragefor weeds to eat.

Growing pressure on Israel

Six months of combat have strained the Israeli military and economy. Many Israeli security experts say they now see a greater threat from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel is also on alert for a possible attack from Iran in retaliation forthekilling of Iranian generals on April 1.

WATCH | Ripple effect of the Israel-Hamas war:

How Israel's war against Hamas has impacted the Middle East

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Six months into the Israel-Hamas war, Sajjan Gohel, international security director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation, discusses how the conflict has impacted the region and where it might go from here.

And it is under increased pressure from the U.S., where President Joe Biden has demanded that Israelimprove humanitarian conditions in Gaza and work towarda ceasefire, saying that Americansupport could be contingent on that.

That was the first time Biden, a staunch supporter of Israel, has sought to leverage U.S. aid as a way to influence Israeli military behaviour. The U.S. is a major supplier of arms to Israel's military.

Biden has also urged the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to pressure Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal ahead of a fresh round of talks in Cairo.

WATCH | Analyst discusses Netanyahu's reputation in Israel:

Israeli criticism of Netanyahu intensifying after Oct. 7 attacks and war in Gaza, analyst says

6 months ago

Duration 2:26

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced domestic criticism before the current war against Hamas due to his planned judicial overhaul. But since the Oct. 7 attacks and ensuing war in Gaza, his reputation as 'Mr. Security' and his ability to foster diplomatic relations have taken a significant hit among Israelis, according to Michael Koplow of the Israel Policy Forum.

Anxious wait for hostages' families

The six-month mark has been met with growing frustration in Israel, where anti-government protests have swelled and anger is mounting over what some see as government inaction to help free the roughly130 remaining hostages in Gaza, about a quarter of whom Israel says are dead.

For the families of hostages, the wait has been an agonizing one.

"It's been 184 days, half a year now," Idit Ohel, whose son was taken hostage by Hamas, told CBC News Network from Jerusalem. "We have a lot of hope, but it's not easy."

WATCH | 'Every day is hard,' says mother of Israeli hostage:

Mother of Israeli hostage counting the days until his return as war in Gaza continues

6 months ago

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Idit Ohel's son, Alon Ohel, was taken hostage by Hamas at the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7 attacks. She says the past six months or 184 days have been extremely difficult for her family.

Alon Ohel,who would have marked his 23rd birthday in captivity, was seized by Hamasduring the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His motherhas not heard from him since.

"Every day is hard.... I don't know if he's getting enough food, I don't know if he's getting anylight,"Idit Ohelsaid.

"We need the world and we need help from everybody to talk to whoever ... will listen and do something about it if it's Qatar, if it's Egypt, whoever can help and finish this."