UN chief in Gaza as reconstruction efforts begin

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. chief visited Gaza on Tuesday to give a push to international reconstruction efforts following a devastating summer war, saying the destruction was “beyond description” as Israel allowed the first shipment of construction materials to enter the coastal strip since the fighting ended in August.

Ban Ki-moon’s visit, along with the arrival of long-awaited building materials, gave Gazans a rare glimmer of hope in the wake of a 50-day war that flattened entire residential areas and left tens of thousands of people homeless.