IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, in an interview with The New York Times, confirmed the army's shift to the third, less intensive phase of the Gaza operation.
This phase entails a reduction in ground forces involved in combat, transitioning from an "intensive phase" to individual "spot operations."
Defense Minister Yoav Galant, speaking with The Wall Street Journal, emphasized the need to consider the large civilian population in Gaza when adjusting military tactics. He stated that this transition will take time, with a gradual shift occurring in different parts of the sector.
According to military sources cited by WSJ, the least intense fighting is expected in the Rafah area, home to hundreds of thousands displaced from the northern enclave.
While Israeli media reported the transition a day earlier, no official statements were issued by Israel's political or military leadership at that time.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, addressing the Likud faction, clarified that creating an "international margin for maneuver" is crucial to continuing the Gaza operation, and they are actively working towards it.
