• Casualties, death toll on both sides, thousands homeless
Palestines gathered at the beach of Gaza city on Saturday, May 22, following a ceasefire that ended eleven (11) days of relentless Israeli airstrikes, which claimed the lives of more than 200, thousands rendered homeless, on the besieged enclave run by the Hamas group.
Gazans tried to pick up the pieces of their lives, after extensive damages propelled by Isreali airstrikes.
Authorities started distributing tents and mattresses in the Gaza strip, after the ceasefire followed. There were deadly Isreali airstrikes on the besieged enclave; however, rockets were fired from the Gazan city, towards Isreal.
Isreal claimed it had killed more than 200 terrorists, including 25 Commanders. But, “the latest round of bombardment killed 248 people in Gaza, including 66 children and wounded over 1,900, since May 10,” said Hamas run Health Ministry says.
The United Nations (UN), revealed more than half of those killed by the overwhelming Isreali airstrikes were civilians.
Rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups reportedly killed 12 people in Isreal including a child, an Isreali soldiers, an Indian citizen, two Thai nationals, and wounded around 357 people; the police confirmed.
Sarah Muscroft, the head of UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), said, “over 6,000 people have been rendered homeless, as a result of the hostilities.
“More than 1,042 housing and commercial units were estimated to have been completly destroyed, and 800,000 people have no regular access to water.
“The building effort is going to be really quite profound,” she said.
Similarly, convoy of lorries bringing much needed medicine, food, and fuel entered Gaza, Friday, through the Kerem Shallom crossing, after Isreal reopened it.
The UN central emergency response fund said it had released $18.5million for humanitarian efforts.
The latest round of Isreali bombardment was said to have forced 91, 000 people to flee their homes in Gaza, according to OCHA.
Meanwhile, both Isreal and Hamas were fast to claim victory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s bombing campaign had been an “exceptional success”.
While, Hamas Political Chief, Ismail Haniyeh, said the group “had deal a painful and severe blow, that will leave its deep marks on Isreal, and thanked Iran for providing funds and weapons”.
The Hamas authorities also noted that government offices would reopen on Sunday.
US President Joe Biden Friday pledged to help, organize efforts to rebuilding Gaza. He said, creating a Palestinian State alongside Isreal is the “only answer” to the conflict.
Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | May 23, 2021
