© Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Syndication: The Courier-Journal
(Jerusalem, Israel) — The Israeli military says it has withdrawn all ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip except for one brigade. No further details were given, and it’s unclear if the withdrawal is related to Israel’s plan to invade the southern city of Rafah, where it says Hamas militants are hiding. Reuters reports the withdrawal comes as Egypt prepares to host a new round of negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire and a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has recovered another body of an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas during the October 7th attack. The hostage has been identified as 47-year-old Elad Katzir, a farmer who was abducted near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. The military says his body was recovered by troops in southern Gaza and returned to Israel overnight. Katzir’s sister denounced the Israeli government on social media for failing to secure her brother’s release. Hamas is reportedly still holding about 100 hostages in Gaza. It’s not clear how many of them are alive.
