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A substantial new ripple in Israel–Palestine war occurred on Monday, as the Israeli military announced that thousands of its troops would be withdrawn from Gaza.
This withdrawal marks Israel’s first official pullback since the war began, and arrives just days after the Biden administration bypassed Congress once again for a weapons sale to Israel. The drawdown is Israel’s most significant yet, and could signal that fighting is being intentionally scaled back in Gaza after the United States has prodded the country to move to lower-intensity fighting as the death toll in Gaza reached an alarming 20,000 people.
The de-escalation may only be temporary, however, as the Israeli military noted in a statement on Monday that troops were being withdrawn from Gaza for test and training procedures. According to the a statement from the Israeli military, two brigades will be sent home, while another three will be sent to training.