Israeli aerial bombardment of the densely populated enclave killed 232 Palestinians, damaged thousands of homes and disabled critical infrastructure. Gaza rocket attacks killed 12 people in Israel and wounded hundreds. In the countdown to the 2 a.m. (2300 GMT Thursday) cease-fire, Palestinian rocket salvoes continued and Israel carried out at least one air strike. The fighting meant many Palestinians in Gaza could not mark the Eid al-Fitr festival at Ramadan’s conclusion. The State Department said that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken planned to travel to the Middle East, where he would meet Israeli, Palestinian, and regional leaders to discuss recovery efforts.

Source: The Nation May 21, 2021 08:04 UTC