Israel announced the transition of its army from a large-scale ground and air campaign on Gaza to a “more targeted” phase in its war on the Gaza Strip, involving “more precise operations, a smaller number of forces, and a reduction in the intensity of operations in the northern Strip.”

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hajari said in statements to the New York Times that the new phase “includes a smaller number of forces and raids.”

He added: "The war has moved to a new phase, but the transition will take place without celebrations. It is not about exciting announcements," explaining that Israel will continue to reduce the number of its forces in Gaza, and that the intensity of operations in the north has already begun to decline, with the army shifting towards launching separate attacks there instead of continuing large-scale maneuvers."

Hajari explained that Israel "will focus for the time being on Hamas strongholds in the south and center of the Strip, especially in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah," saying that he expects to allow more aid and tents to enter Gaza.

American officials expected that the new phase would rely more on “highly precise operations carried out by smaller groups of Israeli special forces, who will move inside and outside population centers in the Gaza Strip, to find Hamas leaders, kill them, rescue hostages, and destroy tunnels,” according to the statement. American officials.

The officials, who spoke to the newspaper anonymously, believe that the number of Israeli forces in the northern part of Gaza will decrease to less than half the number of soldiers who were there during the height of the campaign last month, numbering 50,000.

End of January

According to the New York Times, Israeli officials secretly informed their American counterparts that they hope to complete this process by the end of this January.

However, Israeli officials explained to their American counterparts that the time frame for the transition to the new phase has not been determined, but they hope to complete it by the end of this month.

The scale and pace of the Israeli troop withdrawal may slow, and intense air strikes could continue, if the forces encounter stronger than expected resistance from Hamas, according to Israeli officials.

The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, announced earlier that his country's army was heading into a "new phase of the war," which a Hamas leader considered evidence of confusion within the Israeli army, stressing that Israel had not achieved any of its goals. In the previous stages of the war on Gaza, his movement is “prepared for a long phase” of fighting.

Galant explained that Israeli forces will shift to what he called "the intensive maneuver phase of the war," toward "different types of special operations."

But Gallant warned that the next chapter of the conflict “will last longer,” stressing that Israel will not abandon its goals of destroying Hamas “as a fighting force, ending its control over the Gaza Strip, and liberating the remaining hostages.”