As soon as the military operation ended in January 2009, the ICRC and the Palestine Red Crescent began detailed assessments of the damage in the worst hit areas. Field teams spoke to families whose houses had been damaged or destroyed, documented the destruction and began an emergency assistance programme.

This action followed intensive work during the fighting to protect and assist the affected population, including the evacuation of wounded and sick to medical institutions, provision of essential supplies to hospitals and the dispatch of an ICRC surgical team to support local medical staff.