Tel Aviv, Jan 2 (IANS): Israel government is planning to relocate southern Israel residents who were displaced from their homes following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Israel Home Front Command officials on Monday said that they were preparing for the residents of southern communities to relocate back to their Kibbutzs.

The residents of southern communities were largely shifted to Tel Aviv and other cities since October 7.

The development indicates that the fighting may soon shift into a lower gear after three months of the full fledged war.

It may be noted that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had announced that it was drawing down some forces in Gaza as it prepared to shift toward a lengthy, lower-intensity stage of war.

Israelis in communities within seven kilometers of Gaza were mostly evacuated in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks on southern Israel by Hamas, which rules the emclave.

As many as 1,200 people, mostly civilians were killed, and 240 people were kidnapped from Israel during the attacks.

The Home Front Command whuch is largely responsible for bringing communities back to settlements said that the Kibbutz‘s that are closest to Gaza will remain closed for the time being,.

However those communities are at least four kilometers (2.5 miles) away will start bringing residents back. A time line to bring the residents back has not yet been set.

As per Defence Ministry officials, residents of Mavki’im, Gvar’am, Dorot, Yachini, Bror Hayil, as well as Kibbutz Yad Mordechai -- which is nearly three kilometers away will be the first to return.