Gaza conflict: Life in Israel and Gaza one year on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-33433355

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It is one year since Israel launched a 50-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip, saying its aim was to halt rocket fire by Palestinian militants and destroy tunnels they used to launch attacks.

More than 2,200 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed during the fighting, according to UN and Palestinian officials. Tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Reconstruction has barely begun, due to shortfalls in donations, Palestinian political divisions, and tight border restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt for what they say are security needs.

On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers and six civilians were killed. Missile alerts and the Iron Dome defence system helped to limit civilian casualties and property damage.

BBC News has been to revisit two Palestinians and two Israelis whose daily lives are still affected by the conflict - the third fought between militants in Gaza and Israeli forces in five years.

Rafik Maliha, general manager, Gaza power plant

There was widespread damage to key civilian infrastructure during the war. Gaza's only power plant was hit several times by Israeli shelling.

In late July, its fire extinguishing systems were struck and its fuel tanks were set ablaze. An Israeli army spokesman told the BBC the incident was still under investigation.

With the plant out of commission, local people - who have long endured electricity shortages - endured even worse daily power cuts.

Now the plant has carried out some basic repairs and relies on one small fuel tank so that it can operate. The blockade of Gaza has long made maintenance and importing parts very difficult. It also limits fuel imports.

Khalil Zaaneen, farmer, Beit Hanoun, Gaza

The border areas of Gaza saw some of the worst destruction during the Israeli ground offensive. They were also subject to heavy air bombardment.

The Zaaneen family owns farmland close to the Erez crossing. During the war, they sought refuge in Gaza City but returned home to find their house had been totally destroyed along with their chicken farm, a water well and hundreds of citrus trees.

Khalil Zaaneen has helped his brother rebuild a large chicken coop using salvaged pipes and equipment. However, UN agencies and the local authorities have not yet given him any money or support to clear away the ruins of his house and start reconstruction.

Gadi Yarkoni, head of Eshkol Regional Council, Kibbutz Nirim

At the end of August, an hour before a ceasefire with Hamas was set to take effect to end the Gaza war, a mortar shell struck Kibbutz Nirim, just across the border in Israel.

Gadi Yarkoni was among a group of locals repairing damaged electrical cables. Two men were killed and he lost his legs.

He has since undergone rehabilitation and has prosthetic limbs.

Earlier this year, he testified before the UN Human Rights Council investigators about his experiences.

He was recently elected as the head of the Eshkol Regional Council. Many in his community work in agriculture, but their close proximity to Gaza makes them a target for militants and cross-border tunnels have been found in the area.

Chaya Ben-Yosef, clinical psychologist, Ashkelon

Ashkelon, on the Mediterranean coast, is just 10km (6 miles) north of Gaza.

During the conflict, hundreds of missiles were launched in its direction and it was one of the Israeli cities most targeted by Palestinian militants.

Residents have come under regular attack since 2008 - a year after Hamas, a sworn enemy of Israel reinforced its power in Gaza. Many have safe-rooms in their homes and head to them when a siren system warns of incoming rockets.

Dr Chaya Ben-Yosef works for the city's Child and Teenager Centre and treats youngsters suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Despite a ceasefire that has largely held since last year's conflict Islamist groups in Gaza recently launched rockets towards the Ashkelon area.