First Gaza damage estimated at $1.4 billion

RAMALLAH, West Bank: Israel's fierce assault on Gaza's Hamas group has destroyed at least $1.4 billion worth of buildings, roads, pipes, power lines and other infrastructure in already impoverished territory, Palestinian surveyors estimate.

Arab and Western countries will be called on to foot much of the bill to rebuild - which Palestinian economists say could take five years or more.

The Israeli military says it has bombed over 2,500 Hamas-linked targets since Dec 27, including 250 tunnels the militant group used to smuggle in arms as well as large amounts of weapon stockpiles and rocket launcher squads.