Smoke rises over Gaza City after an Israeli air strike on the first day of Operation Cast Lead. According to the UN, the 22-day Israeli military offensive (27 December 2008-18 January 2009) resulted in the killing of 1,383 Palestinians, including 333 children and 114 women, and the injury of more than 5,300. The homes of more than 3,400 Palestinian families were completely destroyed. The firing of rockets and mortars by armed Palestinian groups toward Israel killed 3 Israeli civilians and injured some 180; 10 Israeli soldiers were killed during the hostilities, including 4 killed in a “friendly fire” incident.
