PALESTINIAN TERITORIES. The UN will launch a US$610 million appeal to meet the “massive” needs of those hit by Israel’s 22-day war in Gaza, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said yesterday.

The money is needed to provide food, water, shelter, health care and other assistance after the conflict which left more than 1,300 dead and caused widespread destruction in the Palestinian territory, UN officials said.

“These needs are massive and multi-faceted,” Ban told a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that the money could “help overcome at least some measures of this hardship.”

Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-winger tipped to become Israel’s prime minister in a looming election, was also at Davos where the Middle East is a key political topic. He accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of pursuing “terror efforts” despite a fragile ceasefire.

“We’ll deal with it,” the Likud party leader told reporters on the sidelines of the forum when asked about the latest Israeli air attacks against Gaza and new rocket attacks into Israel.

“Regrettably we see that Hamas continues its terror efforts,” said Netanyahu, whose party has a wide lead in opinion polls ahead of the 10 February parliamentary election.

“Clearly, Hamas is committed to continuing its fanatical mission of destroying Israel,” he added, signalling that he favoured a tough line against the Islamist party which rules Gaza.

UN agencies have been critical of Israel’s conduct during the conflict and Ban and John Holmes, who heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), called for Israel to end its blockade of the Palestinian territory of 1.5 million people to allow in humanitarian assistance.

“We’re asking for the crossing points to be opened fully. Otherwise, we won’t be able to achieve what we want to achieve,” said Holmes.

Israel declared a ceasefire on 18 January, but Israeli forces launched an air strike yesterday on a Gaza border area near Egypt after Palestinian militants fired a missile.

Ban said the Israeli strike demonstrated that the “ceasefire is very fragile” and that it made it more necessary than ever to “make this ceasefire a durable one.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his criticism of ally Israel for what he called the use of “disproportionate” force.

“How can you explain to the world the death of 1,300 people,” Erdogan asked on the sidelines of the forum where Quartet envoy Tony Blair has also been having talks.

Israel’s war on Gaza killed 1,330 people, at least half of them civilians, and wounded 5,450 others, Palestinian medics said yesterday.

Among the dead were 437 children under 16, 110 women, 123 elderly men, 14 medics and four journalists, according to Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza medical services.

The wounded include 1,890 children and 200 people in serious condition, he said. Some 600 injured people have been transferred outside Gaza for treatment.

Israel unleashed Operation Cast Lead against Gaza on 27 December in response to rocket fire from the territory.

On the Israeli side, three civilians and ten soldiers died in combat and rocket strikes and dozens were wounded, according to official figures.

The extensive list also catalogues damage to roads, schools, the electricity grid and the water network.

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