Jerusalem: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began to withdraw troops and equipment from the center of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported, citing its correspondent.
According to the channel, the Israeli military is “retreating to the Philadelphi Corridor,” which is located on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, contrary to media reports about the alleged withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt as part of a deal with the Hamas movement, Israel planned not only to maintain a military presence in this area, but even to strengthen it.
The parties to the conflict in the Palestinian Gaza Strip — Israel and the Hamas movement — with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States agreed to a ceasefire from January 19 for 42 days and declared their desire to finally end the hostilities that have claimed the lives of 46,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis in 15 months, spread to Lebanon and Yemen, and provoked an exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran.
The first stage of the deal involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for about a thousand Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops must withdraw to the borders of the Gaza Strip, although they will remain within them for now. From the first day of the truce, humanitarian aid deliveries will increase to 600 trucks per day, including 50 with fuel. The Palestinians will receive 200,000 tents and 60,000 mobile homes.
The guarantors of the agreement are Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which will create a coordination center in Cairo. On the 16th day of the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas committed to begin talks on a second phase of the deal, which would presumably include the release of the remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and a full Israeli withdrawal. The guarantors of the peace process are also talking about a third phase, which would include an exchange of remains, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and an end to its blockade.
This is the second ceasefire in the conflict: the first was concluded in November 2023 and lasted only six days.
UNI SPUTNIK
