In response to rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, the Israeli Defense Forces, on 27 December 2008, launched a massive air, ground and sea attack against Gaza that would last for 22 days.
5,000 buildings were destroyed. 53 UN installations were damaged. At its peak, 90,000 people were displaced, including 50,000 children. 1,314 Palestinians were killed, including 412 children.
On 1 January 2009, six days into the war on Gaza, a senior Israeli government official was quoted as saying: "There is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip... The humanitarian situation in Gaza is completely as it should be."
