Israel has used 50,000 missiles in Gaza, killing almost 1,500 Palestinians

Official Palestinian sources and human rights organisations monitoring the horrors of war inflicted on the people of the Gaza Strip by Israel for almost 4 weeks have released some startling statistics.

Dubbed Operation Protective Edge, Israel launched its offensive on the pretext of stopping the Palestinian rockets fired in response to the Israeli occupation. Tunnels used by Hamas have also been a target, claim the Israelis.

However, speaking to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashar Qudra pointed out that the Israeli war machine has killed 1,458 Palestinians, including 330 children, 170 women and 60 elderly people; 8,375 people, including 2510 children, 1630 women and 310 elderly have been wounded. Almost all are civilians.

The Minister for Public Works and Housing, Mofeed Al-Hasayneh, said that the Israeli aggression has destroyed 5,238 housing units and partially-damaged 30,050. Twelve homes belonging to senior Hamas officials and elected parliamentarians are among those blown-up by the Israelis. Mosques, hospitals and schools have also been targeted.

Electricity supplies in Gaza are severely restricted following the bombing of the Strip’s only remaining power station. Pollution is a major health risk after the Israelis also hit waste-water treatment centres.

It is claimed that Israel has used more than 50,000 bombs in its war on the civilians of the Gaza Strip: 6,318 missiles have been fired by Air Force jets; 13,866 were fired by the navy; and 30,581 were fired by tanks and artillery stationed on the eastern border of the enclave.

In response, Palestinian resistance fighters have fired 3,000 home-made rockets towards settlements, military bases and cities across Israel. Tel Aviv airport was closed for some time as airlines cancelled flights to the Zionist state.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Thursday evening that the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, received assurances from the Israel Defence Forces and Palestinian resistance factions to observe a 72 hour unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Anadolu that the ceasefire mediated by the UN will commence on Friday, at 8:00 am local time. “The resistance factions will stick to the truce as long as Israel respects it,” he insisted.