A senior Iranian official says the horrors of Israel's three week-long offensive against Gazans "should not be consigned to oblivion".

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Thursday that support for the shell-shocked Palestinian people and efforts to alleviate their sufferings should continue for years to come.

"Palestinian civilians are now facing the worst kind of ordeals in the aftermath of Israel's deadly war. It is vital that Muslim countries play a more supportive role in Gaza," said Larijani.

Israel's recent military operations wreaked havoc on the Palestinian territory, intensifying an acute humanitarian crisis that was brought about by an 19-month blockade imposed on the strip by Tel Aviv.

An estimated 60,800 people are left homeless and more than 100,000 people remain displaced in the coastal sliver. Running water and electricity are reportedly available less than 12 hours a day.

"Entire neighborhoods have disappeared," the BBC reported.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has reported that more than 4,100 homes have been reduced to rubble and 17,000 others have been damaged.

According to a report recently released by Gazan medics, as of 25 January 2009, the death toll was estimated at 1,350 with the numbers increasing daily because the wounded are still dying in hospitals.

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