Palestinians return to Khan Younis as Israeli troops leave the city

YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. Palestinians are returning to Khan Younis, searching for their homes in the rubble, after Israeli troops left the southern Gaza city, BBC reports.

Israel advanced on the area in December after intensive air strikes on the city.

Israel has said the withdrawal of troops does not mean the war is over. Lt Col Peter Lerner told the BBC that Israel's military mission in the immediate area may be complete but "there are more operations that need to be conducted" elsewhere in the Strip.

Palestinians, speaking to BBC Arabic, have described Khan Younis as having suffered "complete destruction" saying there is "hardly anything left" of the city.

Meanwhile there appears to be no progress in the truce talks between Israel and Hamas, with unnamed officials from both sides telling different news outlets that no agreement was reached during the talks in Cairo on Sunday.

The war began after Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, prompting an Israeli invasion that has laid waste to much of the densely populated territory and displaced most of its 2.3 million people. According to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza 33,207 Palestinians have died during the conflict.