Israel "completes" Gaza troop withdrawal

21/01/2009| IslamWeb

Israeli forces completed a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, three days after Israel and Hamas declared separate ceasefires, a military spokesman said.

"As of this morning, the last of the Israel Defense Forces soldiers have left the Gaza Strip and the forces have deployed outside of Gaza and are prepared for any occurrences," the spokesman said.

Israel said it had withdrawn most of its forces before U.S. President Barack Obama was inaugurated on Tuesday.

Hamas, announcing a ceasefire on Sunday hours after an Israeli-declared truce went into effect, had demanded Israeli troops quit the territory within a week.

Israeli attacks in a 22-day Gaza offensive killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and made thousands homeless.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian children on a horse cart pass by buildings destroyed during Israeli strikes in Gaza City on January 20.

Reuters