11 days of bombardment leave Gaza in tatters, reconstruction efforts awaited
A truce between Israel and Hamas began in the early hours of Friday morning after a new escalation of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the worst since 2014. After 11 days of relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the death toll in the Palestinian enclave rose to 248 people, including 66 children, according to the Gazan authorities. On the other hand, 12 citizens have died in Israel, two of them minors. Israel has also demonstrated its military superiority during this confrontation with modern defence systems such as the Iron Dome, which intercepted 1,500 of the 4,400 rockets launched by Hamas.
After almost two weeks of air strikes, the Gaza authorities and citizens took advantage of the ceasefire to take stock of the destruction caused by the Israeli army. In addition, rescue teams continue to search for survivors in the rubble of buildings and other infrastructure, having found the bodies of five dead and 10 survivors in the wreckage of tunnels on Friday.
According to UNICEF, at least 50 schools and 20 health facilities are damaged by the shelling. Missiles have also hit Gaza's water network, affecting 50 per cent of the system and leaving nearly 800,000 people without access to running water. Electricity supplies have been cut by 60 per cent, leaving hospitals dependent on fuel-intensive generators. During the last days of the escalation, Gaza's health centres warned that they were reaching collapse, with almost no space to accommodate more wounded, and had to treat them in hospital reception rooms or administrative offices.
US President Joe Biden has pledged humanitarian and reconstruction aid for Gaza. Biden's pressure and Egypt's mediation were key to the cessation of hostilities and the beginning of a "reciprocal and unconditional" truce. The Democratic president has assured that he will cooperate with the Palestinian Authority in sending aid, and not with Hamas, as Washington considers the ruling organisation in Gaza a terrorist group. "We will do this in full partnership with the Palestinian Authority, not with Hamas, because we are not going to allow them to resupply their military arsenal", Biden said. The US will also work with the United Nations and other international humanitarian organisations "to provide rapid humanitarian assistance and rally international support for the people in Gaza and reconstruction efforts". Biden has also pledged to help Israel replenish the Iron Dome defence system, despite criticism from within his own party among leftists.
Sources told Al-Arabiya that Egypt is planning a conference on Gaza reconstruction with international participation in Cairo. In addition, it is organising a peace summit between Palestinian and Israeli officials with the aim of achieving long-term calm. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has already held talks with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, to discuss measures for Gaza's reconstruction. Cairo has already sent convoys of humanitarian aid to Gaza and delegations to monitor the ceasefire. However, during the military escalation it has already opened the Rafah crossing so that wounded Gazans could be treated in Egypt due to the collapse of hospitals.
King Abdullah II of Jordan also reaffirmed his commitment to "restore calm in the Palestinian territories and promote the peace process". The Hashemite monarch holds the title of "guardian and custodian of the Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem" and has historically played a key role as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and will therefore play a key role in a possible peace agreement.