| The Israeli Army began pulling troops out of northern Gaza last night after a 17-day offensive that left 120 Palestinians dead and 450 wounded. Palestinian witnesses said nearly all the 200 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles withdrew from the area and the remaining forces began moving to the outskirts of Jabaliya and Beit Lahya refugee camps. Israel launched its northern Gaza raid, one of its biggest and bloodiest in four years of intifada, after a rocket salvo killed two children in the border town of Sderot on Sept. 29. A military source said the redeployment was meant to ease restrictions on Palestinian civilians during Ramadan. The source said Israel would continue to hit rocket launchers in the area. |