Fighting continues in southern Gaza city after Israel said it was withdrawing thousands of troops from other areas

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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Heavy fighting was reported in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Tuesday, a day after Israel said it had been killed. withdrawing thousands of troops Potentially diverting other areas from large-scale air and ground operations that have devastated Hamas-ruled territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is crushed and the more than 100 hostages still held by the militant group in Gaza are freed, a task he said could take several more months.

This decision appears to have dealt a fatal blow to the judicial scheme. Netanyahu and his allies seem unlikely to revive the divisive initiative taken during the war. Elections are widely expected to be held after the fighting ends, and widespread anger in Israel over intelligence and security failures related to the Hamas attack could translate into a poor showing for those in power now.

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Meanwhile, the court’s decision may help Israel avoid genocide charges in Gaza made by South Africa in the International Court of Justice. The ICJ and other international tribunals consider whether countries have their own independent judiciaries to decide whether to intervene.

Armies move but the war continues

The army said on Monday that five brigades, or several thousand soldiers, would be pulled out of Gaza in the coming weeks. Some would go to base for further training or rest, while many older reservists would go home. The war has taken a heavy toll on the economy by preventing reservists from going to their jobs, running their own businesses, or returning to university studies.

The military has not said publicly whether the withdrawal reflects a new phase of the war. But the move is in line with plans Israeli leaders have outlined for a low-intensity campaign that focuses on Hamas’ remaining strongholds and could last up to a year.

Israel has said it is nearing operational control over much of northern Gaza, reducing the need for forces there. Yet fierce fighting continues in other areas of the Palestinian territory, especially in the south, where many Hamas forces remain intact and where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced late Monday that residents of seven Israeli communities near Gaza could soon return to their homes, one of the most concrete signs that the army is confident it has captured parts of Gaza. The danger of rocket launch has been reduced. Communities are located 4 to 7 kilometers (2.5 to 4.5 mi) from the border.

Palestinians reported heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling overnight and into Tuesday in the southern city of Khan Yunis and agricultural areas in the east, near the border with Israel. Fighting was also ongoing in and around the Burij refugee camp in central Gaza.

Even in Gaza City, which has been largely evacuated and where Israeli ground forces have been fighting militants for more than two months, residents said various neighborhoods as well as the nearby urban Jabaliya refugee camp There have been clashes in the camp also.

Israel responded with air, ground and sea attacks, killing more than 21,900 people in Gaza, two-thirds of whom were women and children. Ministry of Health in Hamas-ruled areas, The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its counting. The Israeli army says 173 soldiers have been killed since it began the ground campaign.

Israel says more than 8,000 militants have been killed, without providing evidence. It blames Hamas for the deaths of large numbers of civilians and says terrorists are hiding in residential areas including schools and hospitals.

The war has displaced about 85% of Gaza’s population, forcing thousands to live in overcrowded shelters or tent camps in Israel-designated safe zones, where the military has nevertheless bombed. Palestinians have yet to realize this nowhere is safe,

This decision may help Israel avoid genocide charges

The widespread death and destruction – unprecedented in the centuries-old Mideast conflict – prompted South Africa to file a case against Israel in the ICJ, accusing it of “genocidal” acts aimed at “destroying the Palestinians in Gaza. ” Was. Israel rejected the allegations, calling them a “bloody insult”.

South Africa last week asked the Hague-based court to issue an interim order requiring Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza. If the case proceeds, it will take several years, but an interim order could be issued within a few weeks.

It is unclear what concrete impact the ICJ ruling against Israel would have, but it would likely isolate the country politically and economically. “Israel cannot ignore this,” said Barak Medina, a law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

He said the Supreme Court’s decision against judicial transition could strengthen Israel’s case by showing that it has “an active and independent court” that can hold the government accountable.

Meanwhile, judicial reform itself appears to have been defeated.

Medina said the Supreme Court’s decision to reject one key issue of the proposed changes makes it unlikely that courts will allow others.

Netanyahu’s coalition could propose a weaker version, but it would have to be passed by parliament, a process that would reopen deep divisions within Israeli society and draw even more anger at the prime minister, who already has Has been blamed by many people. Failure to prevent the October 7 attacks,

Magdi reported from Cairo and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Copyright 2024 The associated Press, All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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