Gaza ceasefire agreement: Will Israel withdraw from the city?
With the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, one of the most important issues is the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which is said to be in accordance with the agreed plan.
The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza was one of the important issues of the ceasefire negotiations in Sharm el-Sheik, which took place indirectly between the Hamas movement and Israel with the mediation of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, and finally ended with an agreement this morning, Thursday, October 9th.
In the news about the Sharm el-Sheik negotiations to reach a ceasefire agreement based on Trump’s 20-point plan, the issue of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza was always accompanied by the phrase “gradual withdrawal”, which seems to mean a withdrawal in several stages without a specified time.
The phrase “gradual” means dividing an action into several stages and within a specific time period, but no specific time is mentioned regarding the withdrawal of Israeli forces, except that within 24 hours of the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army forces will withdraw from a set of areas called the “Yellow Line”, including Khan Yunis in the south to Beit Lahia in the north.
In any case, it seems that what is meant by “gradual” is that it is dependent on a set of multiple factors.
In this regard, Ayman Yousef, a professor of international studies at the American University of Jenin, said in an interview with Shaqba Al-Hadath: “It is clear that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza will be gradual and dependent on a set of field variables, the most important of which is the release of Israeli prisoners.”
He said that there are still many complex and ambiguous points regarding Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and that Israel will not withdraw from Gaza and will maintain its presence in the Salah al-Din (Philadelphia) axis and up to a depth of three or four kilometers in the east and north of Gaza.
Israel will not withdraw from Gaza all at once and completely after two years of war and aggression against Gaza and a ground attack on this city, because this action would mean defeat in the eyes of public opinion. Therefore, it is clear that the issue of withdrawal from Gaza has media and psychological dimensions, and a gradual withdrawal from it carries the message to Israeli public opinion that we still have this city under control.
The Sharm el-Sheik talks to examine the 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire in Gaza began on Monday, October 5, with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and this morning the negotiating parties announced that they had reached an agreement.