Israeli troops say they are disappointed that the recent three-week war in the Gaza Strip brought about no achievements for Tel Aviv.

'It's as if we did nothing,' an Israeli soldier who participated in Operation Cast Lead told the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot on Monday.

"We set out to protect southern communities but the fire continues," another soldier said in reference to rocket-firings from the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched the massive offensive in the coastal enclave last December and continued the onslaught into January in a bid to halt the attacks. Palestinian factions, however, have continued firing rockets into Israel.

According to the daily, the result of the war has led the Israeli military personnel to believe that the regime's policy-makers are incompetence.

"There is a great deal of disappointment. Knowing the enemy, we'll be going back in soon. The military's actions were well executed but the problem was the political echelon," another reservist was quoted by the daily as saying.

"It is very disappointing to see what's going on now," said a soldier who took part in the military offensive. "Renewed fighting seems inevitable."

During the three-week-long military campaign, Israeli soldiers killed more than 1,300 Palestinians including women and children and left thousands of others wounded and displaced.

SB/MMN