Gazans take stock of losses amid rallies

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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But the task of reconstruction faced deep uncertainty because of the fear of renewed fighting and Israel's control over border crossings. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, toured the Gaza Strip yesterday to inspect the devastation wrought by Israel's three-week onslaught as the territory's militant rulers, triumphant at having survived the assault, held victory rallies amid the ruins.

With a fragile truce taking hold yesterday, Gazans got their first close look at the widespread destruction across their crowded territory. The besieged enclave's only cement packing factory is now a giant scrap heap, its towering silo tilting precariously. The owner's villa was pounded by Israeli tank shells until it resembled Swiss cheese. The first estimates by independent surveyors said Gaza lost nearly $2 billion in assets during Israel's three-week war on Hamas, including 4,100 homes, about 1,500 factories and workshops, 20 mosques, 31 security compounds, and 10 water or sewage lines, according to The Associated Press. More than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis have been killed during three weeks of combat in Gaza, which Israel said it launched to halt Hamas rocket fire.

Many Gazans seemed overwhelmed, saying they didn't even know where to start with the cleanup. East of Gaza City, a three-story apartment building owned by the Alami family had been shredded by tank shells. Iyad Alami, an accountant, said he was to have moved into the newly built third-floor apartment next month, after spending $50,000 on construction. He said he doesn't have the strength to think about rebuilding after saving for his new home for eight years. "The situation is very hard."

Also yesterday, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has begun his visit to the Gaza Strip, where he inspected United Nations facilities damaged during a three-week Israeli offensive. Ban called for those responsible for the bombing of U.N.-run buildings and schools in Gaza to be held accountable following Israel's 22-day war on Hamas. "It is an outrageous and totally unacceptable attack on the United Nations," Ban said, speaking outside the still smoldering main U.N. compound in Gaza City that was bombed during the war.

"There must be a full investigation, a full explanation to make sure it never happens again. There should be accountabilty through a proper judiciary system," Agence France-Presse news agency quoted him as saying.

While Ban was busy trying to marshal a global response to the suffering in Gaza, Hamas was busy planning nine victory rallies across Gaza. Thousands of Hamas supporters gathered in square outside the remains of the parliament building in Gaza City.