Israeli onslaught leaves 2,000 orphans in Gaza: Ministry

GAZA CITY

Israel's devastating seven-week offensive against the Gaza Strip has left 2,000 Palestinian orphans in its wake, the Palestinian Social Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.

"Around 2,000 young Gazans lost one or both parents in the Israeli war," ministry official Etimad al-Tarshawi said.

She said Palestinian authorities would likely face a crisis in catering to the large number of orphans left by Israel's recent onslaught.

At least 2,152 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, which ended late last month.

The onslaught partially or completely destroyed thousands of residential structures across the blockaded coastal enclave.

The offensive, launched with the stated aim of halting rocket fire from Gaza, finally ended with the announcement on August 26 of an open-ended cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions.

Thousands of Gazans displaced after Israeli attacks

More than 63,000 Palestinians continue to live in school buildings due to mass attacks of Israelagainst Gaza, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN Humanitarian Coordination revealed, in a report released on Monday, that 29 “school buildings – every fifth building – continue to serve as collective centers for over 63,000 displaced”.

Spokesman Jens Laerke said on Monday that at least 50,000 others had settled in with relatives.

The U.N. Humanitarian Coordination urgently needs more funds to help displaced people in Gaza, he added in the international organization’s Geneva office.

He said that the U.N. needed $367 million from the international community but, until now, had only received less than half of that amount. 

According to the report, the number of displaced people in Gaza is higher than during the peak of hostilities between December 27, 2008 and January 19, 2009, when Israel attacked the Hamas-controlled territory in what is known as Operation Cast Lead.

In addition, Christophe Boulierac, a spokesman for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that at least 395 schools in Gaza could not open because of the conflict.

Israel's latest offensive ended on August 26 with the announcement of an open-ended cease-fire, leaving 2,152 Gazans dead and about 11,000 injured, the vast majority of them civilians, and thousands of buildings in ruins.

At least 72 Israelis – 67 soldiers and five civilians – were killed, according to Israeli figures.

www.aa.com.tr/en