Israel focuses operations against Hamas in southern Gaza

The Israeli military on Monday said it will withdraw thousands of troops from some parts of the Gaza Strip while shifting the war into a new phase. Some reservists will return to their families and jobs in Israel this week, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces, though the IDF expects fighting in the region to last well into the new year. The IDF is focusing operations on cities in southern Gaza, including Khan Younis, and said it is close to assuming operational control in the northern Gaza Strip.

What else is happening in the region? U.S. Navy helicopters on Sunday sank three of four small boats carrying Houthi militants that attacked a Maersk container ship in the Red Sea, according to a statement by the U.S. Central Command. A Houthi spokesman said that the militants were carrying out their duty to prevent Israeli ships or ships bound for Gaza from passing through the Red Sea. Houthi militants in Yemen and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon have increased attacks in the region after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7.

Dig deeper: Listen to Myrna Brown’s interview with Benham Ben Taleblu on The World and Everything in It podcast about attacks on ships in the Red Sea.