Kirby calls Israeli troop movement in southern Gaza ‘rest and refit,’ not withdrawal

White House National Security and Public Affairs Advisor John Kirby said on Sunday that the movement of Israeli forces in southern Gaza is more of a “rest and regrouping” than a complete troop withdrawal, as some reports have indicated. He said that reports indicate that it is equivalent to .

“The indications we got from them this morning is that this is actually a major rest and retraining for troops who have been on the ground for four straight months, and they need an opportunity to come in now. We need to get out there now,” Kirby said in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” when asked about reports of a troop withdrawal from the Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

“I can’t speak to what they’ll do with that unit after it’s rested and re-equipped,” Kirby continued.

Mr Kirby’s remarks came as the Israeli military withdrew troops from Hamas on Sunday, ending a key phase of the ground offensive against Hamas and reducing its military presence in the region to its lowest level since the start of the six-month war. It was held amid the announcement that the Associated Press reported.

But defense officials insisted that troops were only being regrouped as the military prepared to enter Rafah, Hamas’ last stronghold.

“The war in Gaza continues and we are far from stopping,” Israeli military commander Lt. Gen. Helj Halevi said, according to the Associated Press.

In an interview on Sunday, Kirby reiterated the US position against ground military operations in Rafah. Rafah is home to more than half of the Gaza Strip’s population and remains one of Israel’s last remaining targets in its efforts to eradicate Hamas’ infrastructure.

Concerns about the humanitarian impact of such operations have sparked a global outcry.

“All I can do is say what I said before,” Kirby continued. “We do not support large-scale ground operations in Rafah. That has not changed. And we look forward to discussing alternatives to these types of operations with the Israeli side.”

Kirby also said in the interview that U.S. officials are discussing scheduling face-to-face talks with their Israeli counterparts after holding a virtual meeting last week focused on alternatives to ground operations in Rafah. He said there was.