Palestinians mourn Gaza dead, gape at destruction

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Mourning tents dotted the Gaza Strip on Monday as Palestinians gathered to remember loved ones among the 1,300 people killed by Israeli forces.

Saber Jnaid said his son, a Hamas fighter, had been killed 12 days ago during Israel's 22-day onslaught on the Islamist militant group. He could not formally receive condolences until fighting stopped on Sunday and Israeli forces pulled back.

"May God make the Islamic resistance stronger," the grey-bearded father told Reuters as he sat with relatives. "I have 10 more sons and I hope all of them die as martyrs."

Hours after Israel declared its attack over, Hamas announced a ceasefire, saying it would observe it provided the Israeli army left Gaza within a week.

Apart from the dead, 5,300 Palestinians were wounded during the Israeli campaign. Many of the 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip have seen their homes and other property blown to pieces.

"We want a solution that would guarantee Israeli tanks will not return to kill us," said Yehya Aziz, 28. "They said a ceasefire for a week. I don't feel good, I doubt it is over."

Israeli soldiers have been withdrawing from Gaza, leaving scenes of devastation and what Palestinians see as desecration.

Graffiti scrawled inside a mosque in the battered Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City read "Hamas whores" in Hebrew and "Hamas is dead" in English. Discarded military rations littered the floor. A shell hole gaped in one wall.  Continued...