U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby speaks at a press conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2024.
Elisabeth Franz | Reuters
National security spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that Israel had decided to withdraw some of its troops from the area. Southern Gaza It does not appear to indicate a shift in military strategy.
“It’s our understanding, through their public statements, that this is really just for the rest and reconditioning of these troops who have been on the ground for four months, and not necessarily – shall we say – an indication that some new action,” Kirby said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.” “The message we got was that they were tired and needed to be reinstalled.”
this israel defense forces It announced on Sunday that it had “completed its mission in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis” and would reduce its troop presence in the area “in order to recuperate and prepare for future operations.”
The move comes six months after the October 7 Hamas attack. The Biden administration has stepped up rhetoric against Israel’s military conduct following an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers at the charity World Central Kitchen.
the president in a phone call thursday Joe Biden According to a White House summary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was told that the attacks and humanitarian conditions during the war were “unacceptable.” He also stressed that the future of U.S. policy will depend on Israel’s “immediate” action to address civilian harm and humanitarian suffering.
“We’re getting more and more frustrated,” Kirby said Sunday.
However, he added in a separate interview that the White House did not know what the next military steps would be after the IDF troops leaving Khan Younis completed their “rest.”
Some national security experts believe this could be a turning point in the war, although the direction of that turn remains unclear.
“I think this is a turning point in the Gaza operation,” Michael Horowitz, director of intelligence at security consulting firm Le Beck International, told NBC News.
He said that for now, troops would not be heading to Khan Younis to replace evacuated troops, which could signal a more targeted military action that the U.S. has been demanding for months. He added that replacing the troops could mean “a new Israeli offensive, for example against Rafah”.
“I can’t say what they’re going to do with these troops after they rest and regroup,” Kirby said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “All I can do is say what I’ve said before: We There is no support for a large-scale ground operation in Rafah. That has not changed.”
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