UN chief in Gaza pledges to stand with Palestinians

Israel allowing first truckload of construction materials into enclave

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lamented the vast destruction in Gaza as he visited the area on Tuesday for the first time since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the situation "beyond description" and urging a speedy reconstruction effort.

He also announced that Israel was permitting the first truckload of construction materials to enter the enclave, which has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since before the conflict.