The war has devastated parts of Gaza, killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians, and displaced almost all of the besieged territory’s 2.3 million people.

The deaths, amounting to nearly 1% of the territory’s prewar population, are just one measure of the devastation wrought by the conflict that over 11 weeks has displaced nearly 85% of Gaza’s people.

The visit to Cairo by Ismail Haniyeh came a day after Hamas fired rockets that set off air raid sirens in central Israel.

The U.S. on Dec. 8 vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by almost all other council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

Diplomats said the text is still being negotiated to try to get the United States, Israel’s closest ally, to abstain or vote ‘yes’ on the resolution.