Buildings destroyed during Israel's "Operation Protective Edge" in the Gaza Strip, summer 2014. Israeli airstrikes destroyed everything from family homes to fishermen's boats; water systems to health centers.

B’Tselem Report: Israeli Government Unlawfully Bombed Residential Buildings in Gaza

On Wednesday, January 28, B’Tselem, one of the Israel’s leading human rights organization, released a report in which it alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet persisted in an unlawful policy of bombing residential buildings in Gaza during last summer’s war (“Operation Protective Edge”). The report blasts the country’s civilian leadership, and specifically Prime Minister…

International Criminal Court Opens Probe into War Crimes against Palestinians

On Friday, January 16, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor opened an initial probe to determine whether war crimes have been committed against Palestinians, including during last year’s Gaza war. “Today the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine,” her office announced in a statement,…

Hussein Wael al Najjar, 14, in front of the shelter he currently lives in with his family in the village of Khuza'a, November 16, 2014. The family’s home was destroyed during the Israeli attacks on their village in the Gaza Strip. Hussein’s family includes eight children.

UN Doubles Estimate of Homes Destroyed in Gaza

On Thursday, December 19, the UN warned it was running out of funds to house families in Gaza, after having doubled its estimate of the number of homes damaged or destroyed in this summer’s war with Israel. “Unless the situation changes urgently, we will run out of funds in January, meaning we will not be…

Rainwater overflowed the streets and houses of the al-Nafaq neighborhood during the last week’s heavy rains. As was also the case last year, rainwater flooded the neighborhood and residents were forced to leave their homes by swimming. The al-Nafaq neighborhood, Gaza City, November 27, 2014 (Photo: Activestills)

Gaza: Massive Shortage of Construction Materials

Gaza is currently plagued by a massive shortage of construction materials, making it the besieged enclave’s number one immediate problem. Estimates place the need at five million tons, mostly for restoring homes and basic infrastructure. However, between August 26 and November 20, only 62,928 tons of construction materials entered Gaza, just 1.2 percent of the…