The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,834, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military operations in the Palestinian enclave killed 40 people and left 224 others wounded, bringing the total death toll to 37,834 and injuries to 86,858 since the latest round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October last year.
The United States has continued to supply Israel with a huge amount of weapons and ammunition despite the high casualty numbers and outcry of the international community.
Two American officials said that since Oct 7, 2023, the U.S. has transferred to Israel at least 14,000 MK-84 bombs weighing about 908 kg, 6,500 bombs weighing about 225 kg, 3,000 guided air-to-surface "Hellfire" missiles, 1,000 bunker-penetrating bombs, 2,600 bunker-penetrating smart bombs that are dropped from the air and additional ammunition.
A UN report has pointed out that the large-scale civilian deaths caused by Israeli military operations in Gaza may constitute war crimes.
On June 19, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report that Israeli forces were suspected of using heavy bombs in a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip that resulted in a large number of civilian deaths and widespread destruction of civilian targets. This may have violated the laws of war multiple times.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ended his three-day visit to the United States on Wednesday, and he briefed reporters that progress had been made on "a number of issues" during the trip, including the U.S. arms supply to Israel.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accused the U.S. government of "withholding" weapons and ammunition needed by the Israeli army, dragging down its military operations in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 37,834: health authorities
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 37,834: health authorities
A delegation from the Taliban-led Afghan government is currently in Doha to attend the third round of UN-convened talks on Afghanistan scheduled for Sunday to Monday, hoping to take it as an opportunity to foster understanding between their government and the wider international community.
Key issues on the meeting's agenda include frozen Afghan assets and the Taliban's counter-narcotics policies.
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson for the caretaker government, led a six-member delegation to the meeting. Before heading to Doha, he briefed the media on Saturday about his government's approach toward the gathering.
Answering a question from China Global Television Network (CGTN), Mujahid outlined the state of his country's ties with the rest of the world, including some Western countries.
"We don't have problems with all of the world, but we want to reach a solution and maintain mutual understanding with some countries that have been pursuing obsessive policies toward Afghanistan. Afghanistan has faced financial challenges, and its business affairs have been impacted by the sanctions that have been imposed. This needs to be addressed," he said.
A group of Afghan activists from diverse backgrounds, mostly based in the country, wrote an open letter on Sunday to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Envoys for Afghanistan, and the Interim Taliban Administration.
The letter addresses key concerns regarding Afghanistan's current socio-economic and political landscape under the Taliban-led government. It highlights severe economic challenges, exacerbated by international actions such as funding cuts and banking restrictions, alongside internal Taliban policies hindering the economic participation of women and educational opportunities for girls.
The activists urge participants of the third Doha meeting to increase aid to the Afghan people, pave the way for unfreezing the Afghanistan Central Bank's assets, and assist Afghan businesses and women.
"I think Afghanistan really deserves right now a chance to be reconnected to the world, to be reintegrated into the international community's framework and to be able to do business with the rest of the world just like any other country. And I think it's an absolute right of the Afghan people, regardless of any other political agendas or issues that we have in Afghanistan," said Muhammad Sulaiman Bin Shah, founder and CEO of Catalysts Afghanistan.
Kabul residents urge both the Taliban and international community to pay attention to the needs of the Afghan people and avoid confusing humanitarian with political issues.
"As we all know, the political and economic situation of Afghanistan is not leading to progress due to Afghanistan's frozen assets. I urge the international community to find a solution at this meeting, and unfreeze Afghan money," said Mushtaba Atayi, a Kabul resident.
"We want the Taliban-led government to reopen schools and universities for sisters, based on Islamic law, and provide the educational environment for them. That would be a very good step," another resident Asimullah Hamdard said.
Delegation of Afghan gov't attends Doha meeting of special envoys
