Israel’s 51-day long attacks on Gaza last year was the “deadliest and most destructive escalation” of hostilities since its occupation of the Strip in 1967, said the spokesman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke, in a report on Tuesday.
The report came as Palestinians marked one year since last summer’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, with a ceasefire still largely holding but few of the issues that led to the conflict resolved, World Bulletin reported.
In July and August of last year, more than 2,150 Palestinians were killed and 11,000 injured, mostly women and children, during Israel’s military onslaught against the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the UN.
Laerke said civilians could not leave Gaza during Israeli attacks because borders were closed during the operation and they did not have safe places to hide.
He underlined that 28% of Gaza’s population had been displaced during those clashes, the biggest displacement so far.
“More than 100,000 people remain displaced because some 12,500 destroyed homes cannot be rebuilt because Israel restricts the importing of building materials … and 120,000 people cannot reach water,” he said, adding that 80% of the population relies on humanitarian aid.
