It has been just over a month since a ceasefire between the two sides was announced, bringing an end to seven weeks of relentless violence and suffering.
According to official figures, between 2,127 and 2,168 Gazans were killed, including between 495 and 578 children. Between 10,895 and 11,100 were wounded.
Sixty-six Israeli soldiers, five Israeli civilians - including one child and one Thai civilian - were killed, while 469 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and 837 Israeli civilians were wounded.
The Gaza Health Ministry, UN and some human rights groups reported that 69-75% of the Palestinian casualties were civilians, while Israeli officials estimated that around 50% of those killed were civilians.
The destruction and devastation witnessed was unprecedented and long-term support will be required to help people rebuild lives free from fear and violence, according to Janet Symes, Christian Aid's head of Middle East, who has just returned from the region.
Speaking on Premier's News Hour, she said: "People are still in shock. I've always found, when I've gone to Gaza, people very engaged, very lively despite the situation that they face, but this time I really felt that there was a sense of shock. The light had gone out in a lot of people's eyes. A lot of people talked about how they'd lost hope and I think at the moment there is a real sense of depression of not really being able to comprehend what the future holds for people."
Thousands of Palestinian homes were destroyed. It was estimated that more than 108,000 Palestinians were made homeless with limited access to water.
Meanwhile, MPs are said to be on the verge of backing a historic parliamentary vote that would call on the British government to unilaterally recognise the state of Palestine.
According to The Independent, politicians on both sides of the deeply divisive issue believe that the motion will be passed after Ed Miliband instructed his MPs to back it.
The resolution, due to be debated on Monday, also has the support of most Liberal Democrat MPs and a number of Tory backbenchers who have so far been given a free vote on the issue.
The motion states: "This House believes that the government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We continue to believe that negotiations toward a two-state solution are the best route to meeting Palestinian aspirations in reality and on the ground."
Last week, Sweden became the first major EU country to announce that it intended to officially recognise the Palestinian state, much to the fury of the Israeli government, which reportedly called in the Swedish ambassador for a public reprimand.
Hear more from Janet Symes at Christian Aid: