Occupied Jerusalem – While the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, insists that the battle in Khan Younis will not cease until the release of prisoners held by the resistance and the elimination of senior leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” the Israeli military, as of last Monday evening, announced the redeployment of the “Duvdevan” unit from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank in anticipation of a third “Intifada.” This move included the withdrawal of the 36th Division from Gaza, leaving three full military divisions in the sector.
This military strategizing comes at a time when political circles continue to debate the third phase of the ground infiltration in Gaza, shifting from extensive military operations, bombardment, and intense raids to more targeted operations and de-escalation of the fighting and war.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi, in recent dialogues with the political echelon, warned of the “erosion of military achievements during the ground incursion in Gaza, in the absence of a political strategy by the Israeli government for the day after the war.” His warnings, conveyed by Israeli Channel 13, highlighted the military establishment’s concerns that Hamas might reorganize its ranks in the northern areas of the sector, which the Israeli military has claimed control over, prompting further military action in these regions.
The withdrawing 36th Division includes the “Golani” Brigade, the 188th Brigade, and the Seventh Brigade of Armor and Artillery (Israeli Army).
Military Alertness
Halevi’s warnings and assessments come at a time when voices in both the security and military Israeli institutions warn of the dangers of an armed uprising in the West Bank amidst escalating security tensions there. The Israeli army is also on high alert for a comprehensive confrontation on the northern border with Hezbollah.
The Israeli security establishment recently clarified to the political level that dealing with the Palestinian Authority, halting the entry of workers into Israel, and the decision by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to refuse the transfer of tax revenues to the Authority are exacerbating simmering tensions in the West Bank and could lead to escalating conflict and widespread confrontations.
In this context, the Israeli army has withdrawn soldiers from the “Duvdevan” unit from the sector and transferred them to the West Bank due to security tensions in the area and security establishment warnings of a potential armed uprising. However, the withdrawal from the sector is also seen as relinquishing a crucial fighting force in Gaza.
Haaretz military correspondent Yaniv Kubovich believes that the redeployment of the “Duvdevan” unit from the sector to the West Bank signifies the seriousness of the warnings about a third uprising. “On ordinary days, the unit operates within the West Bank, but since the start of the war, only a limited force remained there, including reserve soldiers of the unit, while regular and other reserve units were transferred to fight in the sector.”
Kubovich told Al Jazeera Net, “Since the beginning of the ground maneuver south of the Gaza Strip, the unit attached to the commando brigade has been primarily active in the Khan Younis area, considered one of the most prominent ground combat units in the sector.”
However, he added, “Nevertheless, with escalating security tensions in the West Bank, the Israeli army conducted a situation assessment a few days ago, deciding to return them to the West Bank out of fear of violence erupting, including multiple attacks against Israelis in the settlements.”
Fear of a Comprehensive Confrontation
Military correspondent for the website Walla, Amir Bohbot, reported that the Israeli army withdrew all elements of the 36th Division, which comprises the “Golani” Brigade, the 188th Brigade, and the Seventh Brigade of Armor and Artillery and Engineering, in order to maintain troop efficiency amidst threats along the northern front with Lebanon.
The military correspondent noted that this withdrawal follows the army’s assessment of the combat situation on various fronts, aimed at allowing the forces a period of rest and recuperation, and embarking on training to maintain their proficiency before determining where the division’s forces will be redeployed.
Bohbot estimated that the Israeli army would keep the readiness of the 36th Division forces, as there is a possibility of deploying them on the northern front with Lebanon in light of mounting tension and fighting with Hezbollah, and in anticipation of a comprehensive confrontation.
The Israeli army withdrew soldiers from the “Duvdevan” unit from the sector fearing the outbreak of an armed uprising in the West Bank (Israeli Army).
An Uncertain Reality
As more troops are pulled out of Gaza, Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, believes that “Israel is at a crossroads, having to choose between two conflicting paths: undermining Hamas’ rule or returning the Israeli detainees in the sector.”
In an assessment published by Yedioth Ahronoth, Milshtein explained that after more than three months of war, “there is a determination among the Israeli public to continue fighting, but alongside that is a mixed feeling of anxiety, given that the main objectives of the war have not been achieved, with Hamas not overthrown and the Israeli detainees not returned home.”
The result, Milshtein says, “is the gradual development of an ambiguous reality, accompanied by a political and military perception that is unclear to the majority of the public, which could be disastrous, with the potential to evolve into a continuous war of attrition where Hamas emerges victorious. This can lead to despair among Israelis and increase confusion and frustration, in light of the widening gap between the war aims and the actual situation.”
He adds that “a direct look at the situation is also needed in the context of the northern front, which remains secondary, at least for the time being. The possibility of vacating southern Lebanon from Hezbollah forces in accordance with Resolution 1701 through a political settlement is not far off, yet is filled with question marks, and poses a threat of an ambiguous reality developing over time.”
