Gaza conflict in numbers: Facts, figures of the 29 days of conflict

Jerusalem: Twenty-nine days of fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out on July 8 and expanded with an Israeli ground assault nine days later. A 72-hour truce is due to expire Friday at 0800 GMT. Here is a summary of the chief statistics as the 72-hour ceasefire began: Death Toll In Gaza, 1,886 Palestinians were killed and more than 9,560 wounded since the start of the Israeli offensive, the health ministry said. [caption id=“attachment_1653829” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. Reuters[/caption] Figures released by the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, which were correct at 0800 GMT August 6, gave a total of 1,843 dead Palestinians. Of those whose identities have been verified, 1,354 were civilians, or 73 percent, OCHA said. The number includes 415 children and 214 women. OCHA says 216 dead Palestinians have been identified as members of armed groups. In Israel, 64 soldiers were killed after the ground offensive began on July 17. Most died in fighting in Gaza but others were killed by militants who infiltrated southern Israel. Three civilians were killed by Palestinian rocket attacks – two Israelis and a Thai worker. Israel’s military losses are the heaviest since the Jewish state’s 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The army does not disclose the number of soldiers admitted to hospitals. Displaced OCHA says 187,000 are still sheltering in 90 schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), down from a high of 273,000 on August 4. It is unclear how many people are still staying with host families or sheltering in government schools. Rockets According to army figures, militants fired 3,360 rockets, of which 2,650 hit Israel while another 578 were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile defences. Strikes Israel says it struck 4,760 targets across the Gaza Strip. The army said it destroyed over 3,000 rockets, and razed 32 cross-border tunnels used by militants to attack Israel. It said troops killed 900 militants in combat. Destruction OCHA says alternative housing will be needed for around 65,000 people whose homes have been destroyed. At least 153 schools in Gaza, including 90 run by the UN, were damaged by Israeli air strikes or shelling, the UN children’s fund UNICEF says. Three UNRWA schools in Gaza were used by Palestinian armed groups to store rockets. One Palestinian government school was used by Israeli forces as a base. Two Israeli schools were damaged by Palestinian rocket fire, UNICEF says. AFP