Israeli troops have withdrawn from the Gaza Strip after a 22-day offensive against the Islamist Hamas movement, an army spokesman has said.

"The last soldier left this morning," the spokesman said.

"However the army remains deployed all around the Gaza Stripto meet any eventuality."

The pull-out began on Sunday after Israel declared a ceasefire and Palestinian militants matched it.

Hamas gave Israel one week to remove all troops and open crossing points into Gaza or face renewed hostilities.

The Israel Defence Forces later issued a statement saying its troops had returned to Israeli territory, ending Operation Cast Lead.

"The forces are now redeployed outside the Gaza Strip," it said.

Israel launched its massive assault on December 27, bombarding the narrow coastal strip where 1.5m Palestinians live from land, air and sea.

As a condition of full withdrawal, the Israeli army demanded a halt to rocket attacks on southern Israel by Palestinian militants.

The ceasefire has held firm but the army did not complete the withdrawal before the inauguration of US President Barack Obama on Tuesday as many commentators had expected.

Palestinian health ministry figures list more than 1,300 people dead, including 410 children and about 100 women.

Another 5,300 people were wounded - 1,855 of them children and 795 women.

The Palestinian bureau of statistics reported 4,100 homes had been totally destroyed and 17,000 others damaged in the offensive.

UN chief Ban Ki-Moon is the first world leader to have visited the enclave since Israel halted its deadliest offensive on the Palestinian territory, which has been ruled by Hamas since June 2007.

He accused Israel of using "excessive force" in the conflict but he also condemned Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israel which had sparked the invasion.