Israel pulls troops from southern Gaza but says war far from over

The Israeli military chief of staff said on Sunday that even though troops are being withdrawn from the southern Gaza Strip, the six-month-old war in the Palestinian territory is far from over.

"The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping," said Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who serves as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later," he said. "We will not leave Hamas brigades active in any part of the Strip."