Aid arrives in Gaza as Israel-Palestine hold ceasefire

The first convoys of humanitarian aid have arrived in Gaza_ hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants came into effect.

Thousands of Palestinians returned home to scenes of devastation with officials saying reconstruction might take years.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called for the creation of corridors for injured people to be evacuated.

261 people were killed in the 11-day conflict_ most of them in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas claimed victory.

In southern Israel_ residents celebrated the truce but many expressed concern that another conflict in the region was just a matter of time.

Trucks from various aid agencies_ including those affiliated with the UN_ started bringing much-needed medicine_ food and fuel into Gaza_ after Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing.

More than 100_000 people had to flee their homes in the territory_ which is controlled by the militant group Hamas_ and nearly 800_000 people did not have access to piped water_ the UN children's agency Unicef said.

Palestinian officials say tens of millions of dollars will be needed to rebuild the already impoverished enclave that is also suffering with Covid-19.

Margaret Harris_ a spokeswoman for the WHO_ called for immediate access for health supplies and personnel_ saying the territory's health facilities risked being overwhelmed by thousands of injuries.

For years_ Gaza has been subjected to Israeli and Egyptian restrictions on the passage of people and goods_ with both countries citing concerns about weapons reaching Hamas.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unwra) said its priority was to identify and help tens of thousands of displaced people_ and that it was urgently seeking $38m (£26m) in aid.

On Thursday_ Gaza's housing ministry said 1_800 housing units were unfit for living and 1_000 had been destroyed.

"The damage inflicted in less than two weeks will take years_ if not decades_ to rebuild_" said Fabrizio Carboni_ the Middle East director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Samira Abdallah Nasser_ said her two-storey house near Beit Hanoun was hit by a blast during the fighting_ reducing it to ruins.

"We're back to our homes and we don't have a place to sit_ we don't have water_ we don't have electricity_ we don't have beds_ we don't have anything_" she told Reuters news agency. "We're back to our fully destroyed homes."

The fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza began on 10 May after weeks of rising Israeli-Palestinian tension that culminated in clashes at al-Aqsa_ a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews_ in occupied East Jerusalem.

Hamas began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site_ triggering retaliatory air strikes.

At least 248 people_ including more than 100 women and children_ were killed in Gaza_ according to its health ministry. Israel has said it killed at least 225 militants during the fighting. Hamas has not given casualty figures for fighters.

In Israel 13 people_ including two children and an Israeli soldier_ were killed_ its medical service says.