Israeli military completed its troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip

The Israeli military completed its troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on 21 January 2009 but is keeping troops massed along the border as a precaution in case the security situation deteriorates. The separate ceasefires declared by both Israel and Hamas remain in place, though violations such as gunmen in Gaza opening fire on Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and bombing of mortar launchers in the Gaza Strip have been reported periodically. Israel and Hamas have sent envoys to Egypt, where they are meeting separately with Egyptian officials to "discuss ways to make the ceasefire durable." At this point, no long-term solution has been reached and the unilateral ceasefires could break down at any time. Damage assessments in the Gaza Strip continue, and more humanitarian aid is being allowed in, though some reports indicate that a majority of residents have not received any aid. Within Israel, the risk of further rocket attacks in the south is a realistic possibility; travel to within 18 mi/30 km of the Gaza Strip border should continue to be avoided if possible. Along the northern border with Lebanon, the situation remains tense; Israel continues to keep a larger-than-normal security presence there and is on alert for additional rocket attacks from militants in southern Lebanon.