Israel Defense Forces Orders Disarmament of Response Teams in Country's North - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has ordered the rapid response teams in the country’s north to return their weapons and leave only the teams’ commanders armed, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Friday, citing the Upper Galilee Regional Council.

The order applies to all northern Israeli towns that do not directly border Lebanon, the newspaper reported.

At the same time, the council's head, Giora Zaltz, has criticized the decision.

"The Israeli government has become Israel's failure. No one there remembers who fought bravely on October 7 and once again those who live on the frontlines are being abandoned to their fate. The conduct is as if the war is over while disbanding the standby units in some of the Upper Galilee towns could cost lives. Not only is the war not over, it is intensifying, and it is enough to check the events of the last day to understand this," Zaltz was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, while its fighters breached the border, opening fire on the military and civilians. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza and launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 20,000 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1.