The Red Cross stated that the Israeli siege imposed over the past two years had caused devastating impact on all aspects of daily life for one and a half million Palestinians living in Gaza, adding "The Gaza economy collapsed".

"Fuel and raw materials are essential to local industry. While humanitarian assistance does make a difference to a lot of people in Gaza, local production and trade must resume in order for the situation of the civilian population as a whole to improve significantly," said Katharina Ritz, the head of the Red Cross mission in Jerusalem.

Ritz explained that essential items are required to keep industry running and to repair infrastructure, such as building materials which were not allowed in Gaza in over a year as well as hospitals and water-pumping stations are in dire need of spare parts to maintain and replace equipment.

She added that doctors and nurses are struggling to provide safe medical treatment in the absence of items ranging from simple light bulbs to sterilization machines and monitoring equipment for operating rooms.

Meanwhile, UN sources reported that eight violations were recorded during the first week of the Palestinian-Israeli calm, adding that seven of which were committed by Israel.

The sources said the Israeli violations of the ceasefire included incidents in which Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinian farmers attempting to reach their lands near the border security fence and some of the violations took place just a day after the truce came into effect.

The sources also added that the Palestinians violated the truce once when they retaliated to the Israeli assassination of a commander of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, in Nablus.

Hamas denies presence of new official overtures on prisoner swap deal

Meanwhile, Dr. Osama Al-Muzaini, a prominent Hamas leader, categorically denied Sunday that there were new official overtures regarding the prisoner swap deal, stating that his Movement accepted an Egyptian invitation to hold indirect talks with the Israeli side in this regard without appointing a date.

In a press statement, Dr. Muzaini emphasized that Hamas will not start any talks unless it feels certain that Israel is fully committed to the truce agreement items.

The Hamas leader underlined that the Palestinian resistance will not relinquish the list of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli captive soldier, adding that Israel has to release all imprisoned women and children in addition to 1,000 prisoners serving high sentences.

Dr. Ahmed Shwaideh, the minister of detainees and ex-detainees in Gaza, stated that Israel's persistence in kidnapping PLC lawmakers for two consecutive years confirms that it flouts all international conventions and norms, where there is no legal pretext for their detention, adding that the MPs are administratively detained without any charges.

Dr. Shwaideh pointed out that the Israeli jailers deliberately maltreat the Palestinian lawmakers when they are transferred to and back from Israeli military courts which in turn extends at the end of every trial their administrative detention due to the absence of evidence.

The minister appealed to the world's parliament speakers to exercise pressures to get the Palestinian lawmakers released and to expose Israeli violations of international law in this regard.