Israeli forces withdrew after a deadly 10-day raid in a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said, as key ally Germany warned against treating the territory like Gaza, AFP reports.

There was no official confirmation that Israel’s military had withdrawn from Jenin, a bastion of Palestinian armed groups, but AFP journalists reported residents returning home.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged both Israel and Hamas to finalise a truce deal, saying: “I think based on what I’ve seen, 90 per cent is agreed.”

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied this in an interview with Fox News, saying: “It’s not close.”

Washington and fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt have been pushing a proposal to bridge gaps between both sides.

Netanyahu insists on a military presence on the border between Gaza and Egypt along the so-called Philadelphi Corridor.

Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal, saying it agreed months ago to a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden.

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

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