Israel Announces End of Operations in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah After 22 Days
The Israeli army announced on Friday that Military Division 98 has concluded its operations in the cities of Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip after 22 days of military operations. The army reported success in destroying 6 tunnels with a total length of about 6 kilometers during this operation.
The Israeli army allowed residents of some neighborhoods to return to their homes, including areas near Salah al-Din Street in Deir al-Balah, and the Hamad, Al-Jala’a, and Al-Qarara neighborhoods in central Khan Yunis. Israeli tanks have withdrawn from these areas and redeployed near the eastern border strip.
A correspondent in the Gaza Strip confirmed the withdrawal of Israeli tanks towards eastern Deir al-Balah and their redeployment east of Khan Yunis. Meanwhile, civil defense teams in Gaza revealed the recovery of the bodies of 10 victims from the withdrawal areas in Khan Yunis.
The return of some residents to the withdrawal areas revealed extensive destruction of residential buildings, infrastructure, and public roads. Amid this situation, there are Palestinian fears of the possibility of renewed Israeli attacks on these areas if Israeli intelligence receives information about military activity by Hamas or other factions.
This development comes in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, with continued tension and concern about the future of the region and the humanitarian situation of the local population.