The last Israeli soldier withdrew from the Gaza Strip today, the fourth day of a ceasefire that ended a 22-day blitz on the Islamist Hamas movement in which 1,300 Palestinians were killed.

"The last soldier left the Gaza Strip this morning," an army spokesman told AFP. "However the army remains deployed all around the Gaza Strip to meet any eventuality."

israeli soldier gaza 210109Despite the withdrawal, the Israeli navy fired sporadic salvoes into the northern Gaza Strip during the morning, Palestinian witnesses said.

The Israel Defence Forces later issued a statement saying all troops had returned to Israeli territory ending Operation Cast Lead.

"The forces are now redeployed outside the Gaza Strip," it said.

The pullout began on Sunday after Israel declared a ceasefire and Palestinian militants matched it. Hamas gave Israel a week to remove all troops and open crossing points into Gaza or face renewed hostilities.

Israel launched the massive assault on Dec 27, bombarding the narrow coastal strip where 1.5 million Palestinians live from land, air and sea.

Palestinian health ministry figures list more than 1,300 dead, including 410 children and 100 women. Another 5,300 people were wounded. The statistics bureau reported 4,100 homes totally destroyed and 17,000 others damaged.

The army conditioned a full withdrawal on a halt to rocket attacks on southern Israel by Palestinian militants, which sparked the invasion.

Ceasefire has held firm

While Israeli leaders have assured that the operation restored its deterrence capability after the army suffered a debacle in Lebanon in 2006, Hamas also claimed victory.

For the Islamists, who ousted the secular Fatah faction from the strip in 2007, they retain the capacity to fire rockets into Israel. Hamas says it can still smuggle in weapons, although an international coalition has pledged to help Israel prevent Hamas re-arming.

The ceasefire has held firm and the withdrawal was completed the day after the inauguration of US President Barack Obama in Washington.

Middle East eyes are now turned to Washington watching the first moves of the new president.

However, Israel goes to the polls on Feb 10 to elect a new government.

Right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed the Oslo peace accords with the Palestinians and Israel's removal of settlers as well as its army from Gaza in 2005, is tipped to emerge as the new prime minister.

Obama plans this week to name former Northern Ireland peacemaker George Mitchell as his Middle East envoy to deal immediately with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Washington Post reported.

And the US Senate was expected to vote on Wednesday on Hillary Clinton's nomination as secretary of state, a post she intends to use to make a new push for Mideast peace.

Haaretz newspaper warned that although Obama did not mention Israel in his inaugural address a clear message went out.

"Precisely at a time when Israel is drunk on power after Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, it should listen to Obama's sober words: 'Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.'

"The new president intends to speak with states such as Iran and Syria," the liberal daily noted. "The new government in Jerusalem after elections will be judged ... on its success in building not destroying.

"Israel should internalise Obama's call for restraint as an attribute of security as well as his approach that favours dialogue and seeking paths towards understanding with yesterday's enemies."

First world leader to visit Gaza in 2 years

UN chief Ban Ki-moon became on Tuesday the first world leader to visit Gaza since Hamas seized power there in June 2007.

He accused Israel of using "excessive force", but he also condemned Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israel.

Eight Israeli human rights groups accused the army of ignoring the rules of war.

They urged government legal adviser Menachem Mazuz to act, describing the scale of casualties among women and children as "terrifying."

Israel's army is investigating whether paratroopers used white phosphorus shells close to civilians during the Gaza offensive.

The probe centres on the firing of some 20 shells -- which are banned for use in populated areas -- by a reserve parachute brigade.

An army spokesman told AFP it was not an official inquiry.

Under international law, white phosphorus is permitted for creating a smokescreen.