IDF withdraws one of four divisions from Gaza for R&R, training

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

IDF troops operate in central Gaza's Nuseirat, in an image published by the army on January 15, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF troops operate in central Gaza's Nuseirat, in an image published by the army on January 15, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF has withdrawn the 36th Division from Gaza for an R&R and training period, leaving three other divisions fighting Hamas in the Strip.

The withdrawal of the division comes as part of the IDF’s plans for a long war against Hamas, while maintaining the troops’ competence.

The division’s units will be given a short break, then will return for a training period, after which the IDF will decide if and where to redeploy them according to its latest assessments.

Over the past two months, the 36th Division operated in northern Gaza, dismantling Hamas’s battalions.

The 162nd Division remains in northern Gaza, carrying out clean-up operations to locate Hamas’s infrastructure and kill or capture its remaining operatives; the 99th Division is operating in the central part of the Strip; and the 98th Division is fighting Hamas in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.

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