Israel allows 1120t of cement to enter Gaza

Palestinian officials say the amount of the cement Israel has allowed into the Gaza Strip is not enough for rebuilding the strip following Israel’s 50-day war against the enclave. They maintain that 100 trucks of building materials a day are needed to rebuild Gaza Strip within three years.

Raed Fatuh, the Palestinian Authority official in charge of the entry of goods into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, said 28 trucks, each loaded with 40t of cement, crossed into the coastal sliver on Tuesday.

"This is the biggest delivery of cement since the war ended," he added. "But it is not enough, it is only a tiny amount for the reconstruction."

Fatuh added that it is not clear whether Tuesday’s delivery of building materials is a one-time transfer or it would continue.

The Israeli war ended on 26 August with a truce that took effect after indirect negotiations in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The onslaught killed nearly 2140 Palestinians and injured thousands of others. According to initial figures, nearly 89,000 Palestinian homes have been damaged in the Israeli military campaign against the Gaza Strip. A total of 15,000 homes have been either levelled to the ground or badly damaged that are no more habitable. Gaza has been blockaded by Israel since June 2007.