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Israeli army withdraws most ground troops from southern Gaza

Israeli military withdraws most ground troops from southern Gaza as war enters seventh month
MENA
17 min read
Israel's war on Gaza, Day 184: It's been six months since October 7, and negotiators are expected to arrive in Cairo amid a looming Israeli assault on Rafah

The Israeli military said it has withdrawn all ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip except for one brigade, as the war entered its seventh month on Sunday.

The US and other negotiators were expected to join representatives of Israel and Hamas in Cairo in a renewed push for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Egypt's Al-Qahera News said CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani would join Egyptian mediators for Sunday's indirect talks between the Israeli and Hamas delegations.

Hamas confirmed ahead of the talks that its core demands were a complete ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Israel also said on Sunday that four of its commandos had been killed after Palestinian fighters ambushed them in Khan Younis, while UNICEF said that 600,000 children in Rafah, where most of Gaza's population has fled to, are living in hunger and fear amid a planned Israeli ground invasion of the city.