The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that internal probes found that its troops did not violate international law during the recent warfare in the Gaza Strip.

"The investigations showed that throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law," said the IDF in a statement, after five IDF teams concluded their probes into reports of alleged war crimes during the 22-day Operation Cast Lead three months ago.

The investigative units examined claims of attacks at United Nations facilities, medical personnel and buildings, uninvolved civilians and civilian infrastructure and of the use of weaponry containing phosphorus, according to the statement.

"The IDF maintained a high professional and moral level while facing an enemy that aimed to terrorize Israeli civilians whilst taking cover amidst uninvolved civilians in the Gaza strip and using them as human shields," said the army.

While admitting to "a very small number of incidents in which intelligence or operational errors took place during the fighting," the army said that "these unfortunate incidents were unavoidable and occur in all combat situations, in particular of the type which Hamas forced on the IDF, by choosing to fight from within the civilian population."

Regarding one of the most notorious incidents which saw 21 members of a single family were killed when Israeli warplanes shelled their house, the army said that the fire was supposed to target a suspicious warehouse nearby and that the regrettable incident, which could occur during intensive fighting in urban areas, resulted from a professional mistake.

A central operational IDF investigation of the entire operation, during which over 1,400 Gazans and 13 Israelis were killed, is still ongoing and will be concluded by June, said the army.