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Israeli troops pull out of Gaza
.(AKI) - Israel said on Wednesday it had completed its troop withdrawal from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, but forces were on high alert as the fragile ceasefire remained in place . "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," an army spokesman said.Israel had pulled out most of its security forces before the new American president, Barack Obama, was inaugurated in Washington on Tuesday, a move analysts regarded as an attempt to avoid tension with the new administration. Israeli media reported that Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Israeli troops in two separate incidents in Gaza on Tuesday, and several mortar shells were also fired at Israel. No injuries or damage were reported in any of the attacks. On Monday Palestinian medical sources said a 20-year-old was killed by Israeli forces near the town of Khan Younis, while a farmer was reportedly shot dead by Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza on Tuesday. The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Wednesday Israeli aircraft had bombed a mortar launcher in the Gaza Strip that had been used hours earlier to fire some eight mortar shells into the Negev, putting the shaky ceasefire at risk. It was the first air strike against Gaza since Israel's unilateral ceasefire declaration on Saturday and the ceasefire declared by Palestinian factions on Sunday. Posted by: Fred 2009-01-22 |
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