Gazans venture outside during temporary pause

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-13-2009 09:41

Monday saw the Israeli military continuing its policy of stopping fire for 3 hours everyday to allow residents to leave their homes and stock up on supplies.

Monday saw the Israeli military continuing its policy of stopping fire for 3 hours everyday to allow residents to leave their homes and stock up on supplies.(CCTV.com)

This is the fifth time in recent days Israel has suspended its offensive to allow aid groups to help with the humanitarian effort.

Residents rushed into the streets to stock up on essential materials, and medics used the break to rescue casualties in areas of fighting.

But for many of the residents, the brief respite is not enough to make a difference.

Mohammed, Gaza City Resident,said, "One or two hours is not enough. But even if they give us quiet, it is not quiet. There are shellings, incursions, and hits. There is nothing new for us because nothing has changed."

Israel announced a pause in its offensive last week to allow food and fuel to reach besieged Palestinians. Hamas said it would respect the firing pause from 1 pm to 4 pm local time.

Volunteer Egyptian doctors have also started work in Gaza, to help their Palestinian colleagues deal with a mounting toll of deaths and injuries.

Inspired by the scenes of suffering in Gaza, the doctors struggled past Egyptian authorities and Israeli air-raids to give practical and moral support to Gaza's own overworked and under-supplied surgeons.

The UN and other aid organizations have warned of a possible collapse of Gaza's health services if the conflict continues and hospitals are not fully re-supplied.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei