- The Israel Defense Force (IDF) Sunday announced that its 98th Division had concluded its mission and was withdrawing from the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza after months of intense fighting. CNN (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- At the beginning of the war, Khan Younis served as a safe haven for Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza. In December, however, residents and refugees were told to evacuate as Israeli forces entered the area. Washington Post (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said troops will now prepare for their next missions, including an offensive in the city of Rafah. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
- Israel's troop presence in Gaza is now at its lowest since the ground offensive started in late October, as only the Nahal Brigade and the 162nd Division remain in the strip. NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)
- This comes as Egypt's Al Qahera news outlet Monday reported that a cease-fire and hostage-release deal could be reached this week amid "significant progress" in indirect talks. However, Israeli and Hamas officials downplayed such optimism. Times of Israel
- Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which left around 1.2K Israelis dead, the Gaza Health Ministry has reported that at least 33.1K Palestinians have been killed. According to the UN, an estimated 1.7M people have been forcibly displaced into shelters. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
Pro-Israel narrative:
- Israel's withdrawal decision shows it has achieved many of its goals and will now focus on potential Hamas enclaves in other parts of the Strip. Although the IDF may need to enter Rafah, Palestinians are now free to move throughout southern Gaza and Khan Younis.
JERUSALEM POST (LR: 3 CP: 5)
Pro-Palestine narrative:
- This withdrawal is nothing to celebrate for the Palestinians from southern Gaza. Besides dozens of thousands left dead, those alive have no place to return nor the ability to retrieve the bodies of their slain neighbors as a result of Israel's abhorrent bombing campaign.
AL
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 68% chance that Israel will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)