At about 6:00am, telephones around Israel rang with soldiers phoning home to announce, “Ima, I’m back home” as the IDF begins withdrawing forces from Gaza.

Some of the troops taking part in the Gaza fighting returned home on Sunday morning while other forces remain in place. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that while Israel was declaring a unilateral ceasefire on motzei Shabbos, troops would remain in place until such time a mechanism exists to ensure weapons smuggling would not resume in Gaza.

Israel also announced that any firing of rockets would be met with an immediate and stern Israeli military response, explaining there will be a zero-tolerance policy to rocket attacks into Israel’s homefront.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)