Financial cost of Israel's offensive on Gaza approaches $1.9 Billion

Participants of the United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People on Tuesday assessed the damage resulting from Zionist regime's war on Gaza, which they estimated as approaching $1.9 billion, Palestine News Agency, WAFA, reported.

Mohammad Shfayyeh, head of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, said that the real cost of this offensive could not be measured as more than 1300 Palestinians, 40% of them were women, children and elderly, lost their lives due to the Israeli bombardment.

The shelling rendered thousands of Palestinians homeless, and most of the Gaza Strip is now without power supply and basic services, including heating and running water.

'We need to be able to get things into Gaza before we can even dream of repairing the damage that has been done,' said Rosemary Willey-Al'Sanah, Field Coordination Unit Manager of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for the Occupied Palestinian Territories in Jerusalem, WAFA reported.

The Israeli siege on Gaza forced 98% of businesses to shut down and left more than 1.5 million Palestinians living in poverty and without basic services.

“During the Gaza war, some 1.4 million people were vulnerable and unprotected, 'to the extent that people were killed at [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)] shelters', she continued.

The Israeli shelling targeted residential buildings, United Nations facilities, UNRWA schools, mosques, universities, streets, and several other civilian areas and constructions.

Willey-Al'Sanah also aid that there are several challenges to rebuilding Gaza is facing including the safety and wellbeing of the residents; removing the rubble to shelled homes and constructions; providing basic services and shelter to residents; assisting the farmers and other important issues.

“Presentations were also made by Hussam Tuqan, Coordinator of medical care provided to Palestinians injured in Gaza and hospitalized in Egypt; Gerard Peytringnet of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Cairo; Christine van Nieuwenhuyse, Head of the World Food Program (WFP) Office in Jerusalem; and Ahmed Sourani, Director of Projects and External Relations, Agricultural Development Association, Gaza”, WAFA reported.

Furthermore, Gaza hospitals continue to suffer sharp shortages in medical supplies and equipment, and more patients are dying as Israel continues to bar the patients from leaving Gaza for medical treatment abroad.

Two children and an elderly woman were pronounced dead on Thursday in Gaza after Israel barred them from leaving the Gaza Strip for medical care, Palestinian sources reported.

Doctors said that Sujod Abu Bateen, age 7, from Khan Younis city and Suleiman Abu Rajilah, age 4, had heart conditions, while Bushra al-Fishawi, age 71, had cancer. Doctors added that all three had in their possession all the required documents to leave Gaza for treatment, but the Israeli Army delayed them, causing their deaths.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the number of patients that have died due to the Israeli siege on Gaza, since June of 2007, has now reached 304. Of those 304, 12 of the patients have died in this month (March 2009) alone.