The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip had mounted to 40,691, the health authorities in the besieged enclave said in a statement on Saturday.
The number of injured had risen to 94,060 in Gaza since the latest round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, according to the statement.
The health authorities also reported heavy casualties during the past 48 hours, with 89 lives lost and 205 people injured amid the ongoing Israeli military attacks.
On Saturday, Gaza City and other places were attacked by the Israeli army, resulting in deaths of dozens of Palestinians, the Palestinian News and Information Agency reported.
Palestinian armed groups said that their members sniped Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip and attacked military bases in Israel on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, the Israeli forces raided two neighborhoods in the southern part of Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. They also bombarded the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip and a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media reports.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that the Israeli forces continued operations in Gaza City and the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, killing a number of armed men and clearing infrastructure and military buildings that posed a threat to the Israeli forces.
The IDF said that it had killed Muhammad Katrouy, a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) Central Camps Brigade, in an airstrike in central Gaza.
It said in a statement that Katrouy was killed on Thursday in a joint operation with the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service.
Meanwhile, Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said in a statement on Saturday that they had sniped an Israeli soldier in Gaza City. In the central Gaza Strip's Netzarim Corridor, the Al-Quds Brigades cooperated with Hamas's Izz ad-Din al-Qassam armed wing to bombard Israeli personnel and vehicles with mortars. Al-Quds Brigades also released a video showing their armed members using mortars and rockets to attack Zikkim army base in southern Israel.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 40,691
Many Singaporeans support raising the re-employment age, partly to stay busy and active in retirement, and to help address demographic challenges in the workforce.
Like many other Asian countries, Singapore is grappling with a rapidly aging population. The government predicts that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older, up from one in 10 two decades ago.
A survey on retirement and employment conducted last year in the country found broad support for raising the national retirement age, with about 88 percent of those aged 50 and above in favor.
Some supported increasing the retirement age because continuing to do what they love, rather than retiring, keeps them feeling youthful and fulfilled.
When Nancy Hor, a retired IT operations manager, left her job five years ago, she wasn't sure how to fill her time.
"I'm a workaholic. At the very first stage after I retired, I felt I could not find balance," she said.
Hor, now 70, said it took her some time to adjust. In her spare time, she stays busy line dancing and spending time with her family.
But she said that if she had had the choice, she would have liked to stay employed a little longer.
"I think it's good for the elderly that even they have some job to do, and keep them busy," said Hor.
In March, authorities announced plans to raise the retirement age to 64 and the re-employment age to 69 by 2026.
Singapore's Minister of State for Manpower, Gan Siow Huang, said the changes to the rules protect senior workers from dismissal due to age-related issues before they reach the statutory retirement age. Employers are also required to offer re-employment to eligible workers until they reach the statutory re-employment age limit.
This follows a similar move made two years ago to raise the retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68, respectively. The city-state is also aiming for a retirement age of 65 and a re-employment age of 70 by 2030.
"That is to reduce the impact on businesses, so it gives time for businesses to adapt their policy. This gradual increase in retirement age basically provides a framework for individuals like myself, who want to continue to be gainfully employed," said Patrick Chang, a retirement planning specialist and the author of the A to Z guide to retirement planning.
Chang said that businesses will need to make adjustments to accommodate the changes, including offering retraining for senior workers.
He noted that the changes won't impact those who still wish to retire earlier, but given Singapore's demographic challenges, the country cannot afford to remain idle.
"If we don't do it now, the social cost could be high. We cannot wait until the time when we need it today, and then we get something done. It will probably be a bit too late, and the cost of getting to that solution will be higher," said Chang.
Many Singaporeans support raising retirement, re-employment ages
