John Ging, the Director of UNRWA Operations in the Gaza Strip shows the blaze after an Israeli air strike on a storage facility within the compound of the UNRWA headquarters, containing tons of food and sheltering hundreds of Palestinian refugees, Gaza city, Gaza Strip, February 15, 2009. The Israeli military offensive dubbed Operation Cast Lead lasted from December 27, 2008 until January 18, 2009. According to the UN, it resulted in the killing of 1,383 Palestinians, including 333 children and 114 women, and the injury of over 5,300. More than 3,400 Palestinian families had their homes completely destroyed. The firing of rockets and mortars by Palestinian armed groups towards Israel killed three Israeli civilians, injured some 180 and ten Israeli soldiers were also killed during the hostilities, including four in a “friendly fire” incident.