UN urges Israel to reopen crucial Gaza crossings

THE United Nations urged Israel to reopen Gaza crossings as senior officials assessed war damage and the Jewish state warned it would strike again if Hamas rearms through smuggling tunnels.

“If you want to have reconstruction, you have to have cement and construction materials and pipes and spare parts,” said UN humanitarian chief John Holmes at a UN-run school hit by an Israeli missile in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.

“Everything has got to come in; that is one of the things we will be insisting on strongly [in discussions with Israel],” said Holmes who was touring Gaza along with UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry.