Israeli operations in Gaza have continued, bringing the death toll in the besieged enclave since October 7 to 38,919, a statement from the health authorities in the strip said Saturday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 37 people and wounded 54 in Gaza. This brings the total death toll since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict began to 38,919, with injuries now exceeding 89,600, according to the statement.
Over the past week, the Israeli army has killed more than 150 Palestinian militants in operations in Gaza City, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report on Saturday. During this period, the Israeli military conducted several raids on buildings and strongholds used by Hamas militants, seizing weapons and equipment, the report said.
Hamas had not yet responded to this.
Also on Saturday, the Hamas-run Gaza media office issued a statement announcing that a journalist had been killed during an Israeli military operation.
Israeli jets bombed a house in the Jabalia refugee camp on Saturday, killing the journalist, his wife, his two children, and his mother with special needs, according to security and medical sources.
This raises the number of journalists who have been killed in Gaza to 161.
Israeli warplanes targeted a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Friday, resulting in at least nine fatalities and numerous injuries, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA. Israel has not yet responded to the incident.
The IDF said in a statement on Saturday that their operations in the enclave were ongoing.
IDF troops continue "precise, intelligence-based operational activity" in the Rafah area and operation in central Gaza, conducting targeted raids on infrastructure sites in the area, the statement added.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 38,900 as Israeli attacks continue
Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 38,900 as Israeli attacks continue
Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 38,900 as Israeli attacks continue
Chinese engineers have overcome numerous challenges and difficulties with innovative techniques and high-intensity work to complete the final leg of a landmark Algerian highway that connects 17 provinces.
With the completion of its last 84-km section, the Algerian East-West Highway, which stretches 1,216 km and had been under construction for the last 16 years, finally opened to traffic in August 2023.
The 84-km section in the eastern region of the country was built by China's CITIC Construction, and stretches from Drean in the province of El Tarf, to the town of Raml Souk on the border with Tunisia.
However, building the highway was not easy as the construction had to overcome a series of complex geological challenges, including the Atlas Mountain ranges that cross through northern Africa and have long hindered transit in the region.
At the beginning of this century, the Algerian government proposed the highway project, and construction on the highway kicked off in the east, middle and west sections beginning in 2006.
China CITIC Group and China Railway Construction Corporation completed the construction of the 528 km-long central and western section on time. In 2017, CITIC Construction was selected to take over the construction of the remaining 84-km section after it was abandoned by a Japanese enterprise over technical and financial difficulties.
As the Chinese construction team embarked on the challenging task, they encountered numerous local individuals who shared their common hope that the highway could be opened to traffic at an early date.
"As we were searching for a quarry site in Guelma Province near El Tarf Province, we asked a local truck driver for direction. After learning that we were constructing the 84 km project of the eastern region, he was very excited and held our hands tightly, saying that he had been looking forward to the opening of the highway in the eastern sector. He often drove a truck to transport goods, using local roads, and had to drive in traffic jams. The poor road conditions caused significant wear and tear on the vehicles and posed serious dangers. He eagerly hoped that we, the Chinese team, would help complete the highway as soon as possible," Ji Zongli, the chief engineer for the 84-km project, recalled.
According to Ji, the section runs through complex terrain prone to geological disasters, so the difficulties facing the builders were enormous.
"The line runs across areas of marl, wetlands, flood plains, and also passes through a large conservation area of a national park. With terrain and topography highly complex and variable, we faced numerous threats and difficulties, including slope collapses, foundation instability and settlement, and a shortage of aggregates. All these made the roadbed construction particularly challenging," Ji said.
To mitigate the impact of complex geological conditions on engineering quality, CITIC Construction employed advanced Chinese construction technology on the project, including the use of high-modulus asphalt additives to enhance the durability and service life of the road, bridge damping devices to avoid potential disasters, and advanced skills to reinforce the subgrade to ensure the road is able to endure the stresses of heavy usage.
"There have been many stories about this project, and we have experienced several impressive events. For example, in April 2023, at the PK397 construction site, we witnessed CITIC Construction mobilizing 1,004 trucks to work on a very narrow section of the road. The El Tarf provincial government was astonished by such a volume of trucks. The high-intensity work lasted about a month, creating a truly spectacular scene," said Mohamed Salah Kafi, the head of the eastern region bureau of Algeria's National Highway Agency.
According to Ji, the Chinese team has trained over 16,000 local technicians in infrastructure construction. After training and working with Chinese colleagues, the Algerians gained valuable hands-on experience, and some have become seasoned engineers.
"I'm very happy to be involved in the highway project and feel extremely proud. My father, younger brother, and elder brother all are working at the construction sites of Chinese companies. The wages are high. I've learned a lot, and my life has improved. If there are new projects, I hope to work with my Chinese friends again," said Abassh Gilali, an Algerian construction worker.
The highway not only connects regions, it also connects hearts, and is a symbol of what can be achieved when people from different backgrounds work together on a common purpose.
Chinese engineer recalls challenges in completing Algeria's landmark East-West Highway project
