Fragile Gaza ceasefire holds overnight
The ceasefire in Gaza appears to have been held overnight
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Monday, 19, Jan 2009 01:15
The ceasefire in Gaza appears to have been held after the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Sunday it would stop rocket attacks for a week to allow Israeli troops time to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert confirmed he wants the troops to leave the territory as soon as possible.
During the weekend, Israel declared a ceasefire claiming it had met its objectives, more than three weeks after launching its assault on the Gaza Strip. And then Hamas followed with its own seven-day truce, allowing soldiers to pull out from the region.
Reports on Monday suggest Israeli troops and tanks are moving away from key points in Gaza but it is unclear whether they are leaving the territory for good or simply repositioning.
The official Israeli army radio quoted unnamed officials as suggesting the troops will have pulled out by the time Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday.
At least 1,300 Palestinians are thought to have died in the 22 day conflict launched by Israel last month, with over 5,000 more injured.
The situation remains volitile, however, despite the ceasefire agreements, with more than 20 rockets fired into Israel prior to Hamas' declaration and three more reported since then.