Palestine

UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction

The UN's humanitarian chief has told the BBC the situation in Gaza after a three-week Israeli offensive against Hamas was worse than he anticipated.

Sir John Holmes, who visited Gaza on Thursday, said he was shocked by "the systematic nature of the destruction".

He said that the territory's economic activity had been set back by years.

UN workers have been given access to Gaza. On Friday, Israel lifted a ban on international aid agencies entering the Palestinian territory.

The ban had been in place since early November when tensions mounted between Israel and Hamas.

Staff from a number of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were allowed to cross into Gaza on Friday morning.

Michael Bailey from Oxfam said: "We are extremely relieved to be able to join our local colleagues inside Gaza and to be able to provide them with some support and relief from the relentless work they have been doing."

What I don't get its how in trying to kill one lone Hamas guy who is hidden amongst a civilian population is working out

Because you drop a missile or white phosphorous, which not only kills the Hamas person but those around him

I mean would it not be better to be more focused, like proper searches and so on, but i guess the IDF don't want heavy causalities on their side and so are prepared to cause more deaths on the opposite side to prevent this

What did they really achieve? beside a lot of death that is

I just could not see what the IDF's invasion really wanted to achieve, perhaps it was mainly about the upcoming Israeli election.

Further links

The facts are insufficiently impartial

Thus Sprach Barack: Pouring Acid on Gaza's Wounds by Chris Floyd

Children of Gaza: stories of those who died and the trauma for those who survived

Rory McCarthy reports from Gaza City on the individual stories of some victims and the physical and psychological toll on an estimated 350,000 youngsters