GAZA, Palestine
Kamil al-Batash, who lost 13 members of his family in last year’s Israeli military onslaught against the blockaded Gaza Strip, still sheds tears for his slain loved ones.
The grieving 65-year-old – whose 25-year-old son, Mumin, was among those killed – frequently visits the graves of his departed relatives.
Mumin’s body was never found, al-Batash laments, “so he never even received a proper burial.”
At least 2,160 Palestinians were killed and nearly 11,000 injured – the vast majority of them civilians – over 51 days of fierce Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip last July and August.
The onslaught also destroyed thousands of homes across the blockaded coastal enclave, while also destroying vast swathes of vital infrastructure.
The offensive, launched by Israel with the stated aim of halting rocket fire from Gaza, finally ended on August 26 of last year with a cease-fire agreement between the self-proclaimed Jewish state and Palestinian resistance factions.
