The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,118, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement released on Thursday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 34 people and wounded 96 others, bringing the total death toll to 41,118 and injuries to more than 95,125 since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October, it added.
Israeli military operations are continuing across Gaza and the West Bank.
At least 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to Palestinian security and medical sources.
An Israeli warplane struck a residential house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing three people, said Palestinian medical sources.
Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli aircraft in two attacks on the Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.
The Civil Defense Authority in Gaza reported in a press statement that its crews recovered the body of a Palestinian woman and a seriously injured person following an Israeli attack near Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City.
In Rafah, southern Gaza, Civil Defense crews recovered the bodies of four people, three of whom were from the same family, after they were targeted by a missile in the Al-Zahour neighborhood in the center of the city. The bodies were transferred to the hospital, according to a separate statement released by the Civil Defense Authority.
Medical sources reported that the bodies of four people were transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, following the bombing of a residential house in the city.
On the same day, the Israeli army also conducted military operations in Tulkarm, and Tubas in the northern West Bank, destroying infrastructure and Palestinian homes.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it has "dismantled" Hamas' Rafah Brigade in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
The military stated that its troops killed more than 2,000 "militants" in Rafah, including Mahmoud Hamdan, commander of Hamas' Tel al-Sultan Battalion in the city.
It added that its operations destroyed approximately 13 kilometers of tunnels buried beneath Rafah and about 80 percent of the underground tunnel routes along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 41,118: health authorities
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 41,118: health authorities
Heavy snow hit several cities in northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region and southwest China's Guizhou and Yunnan provinces from Wednesday to Thursday, disrupting traffic and prompting emergency response measures.
Starting from Wednesday, many areas in Xinjiang have seen heavy snow or blizzard.
In Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, local traffic police department increased police presence on key road sections to direct vehicles to pass in an orderly manner to prevent traffic jams and accidents. The sanitation department of Wusu City of Tacheng Prefecture, dispatched 116 snowplows to remove snow on urban streets as soon as it fell, and spread snow-melting agents in time to ensure the safety of travelers.
In Nilka County of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, the snow depth in the mountainous areas reached up to 12 cm, and the lowest temperature dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius. In a village there, 95 percent of the grasslands were covered with snow, and village officials organized herders to drive livestock into the sheds for warmth and food.
"We have paid close attention to weather changes, guided herders in the area to keep the breeding pens warm, store forage in advance and take care of the cubs. We have 7,000 tonnes of forage in stock," said Rehan Zakr, deputy director of the local villagers committee.
On Wednesday, 60 counties in Guizhou Province experienced continuous snowfall and freezing weather, resulting in traffic disruptions and ice accumulation on power lines in some areas.
In Shuicheng County, due to the temporary closure of a toll station, many vehicles were stranded outside the entrance. Relevant departments promptly dispatched a response team and provided food and hot water to the stranded drivers and passengers.
"Between 22:00 and 23:00 last night, it was snowing so heavily that the highway was closed and we couldn't drive any further. So we stayed here for the night. They sent us water, instant noodles and other food. We feel their care," said Sun Hua, a truck driver.
As of 16:00 Thursday, the number of highway, as well as national and provincial road sections under traffic control due to snow and ice had been reduced from 41 to 5 in Guizhou.
In Bijie City, a 110 kV high-voltage line at an altitude of 2,280 meters that supplies electricity to more than 80,000 households was severely covered with ice on Wednesday. The local power supply company quickly responded and after 40 minutes of operation, the ice on the line fell off one after another, and the power supply was not affected.
Meanwhile Huize County of Qujing City in Yunnan Province experienced light to moderate snowfall from Wednesday to Thursday. The snow depth in the county's urban area reached six centimeters at around 22:00 Wednesday.
Local authorities activated the emergency plan for severe weather and multiple departments collaborated to remove ice and snow on road surface. With these efforts, the Huize section of the Yinchuan-Kunming Expressway has resumed traffic since Friday morning.
Efforts underway across China to minimize disruptions caused by snow