The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) insisted on Sunday that the war against Hamas is not coming to a close following reports of a ground troop withdrawal from southern Gaza.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the IDF, reportedly told the BBC that the military completed its mission in the Khan Younis area, leading to a rotation of troops while a focus of the campaign remains on the southern city of Rafah.
“It is a decline in the forces but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas’ capabilities wherever they are,” Lerner said.
“This is another stage in the war effort” in which the IDF’s campaign is “continuously evolving,” he continued, adding, “The war is not over. War can only be over when they [hostages …