Israeli forces have completed their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip after a 22-day operation against Hamas movement, an army spokesman said Wednesday. "The last soldier left the Gaza Strip this morning," the spokesman said, according to AFP. "However the army remains deployed all around the Gaza Strip to meet any eventuality."
The pullout began Sunday after Israel declared a ceasefire and Hamas matched it. The Palestinian health ministry said more than 1,300 people died, including 410 children and about 100 women. Another 5,300 people were wounded - 1,855 of them children and 795 women.
The Palestinian bureau of statistics reported 4,100 homes totally destroyed and 17,000 others damaged in the offensive.
