The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,788, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement released on Thursday.
In the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 99 people and wounded 169 others in Gaza, bringing the total number of deaths to 41,788 and injuries to 96,794 since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, according to the statement.
Israel's military announced on Thursday that Rawhi Mushtaha, head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, was killed in a bombing in the Palestinian enclave about three months ago.
The military said that Mushtaha was the "right-hand man and one of the closest associates" of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader, and was considered the most senior figure in the Hamas political bureau.
Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio in Hamas's political bureau and Labor Committee, and Sami Oudeh, commander of Hamas's General Security Mechanism, were also killed, it said.
Israeli warplanes struck and killed the three while they were taking shelter in "a fortified and equipped underground compound in the northern Gaza Strip," it added.
Hamas has not confirmed the deaths of the three officials.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 41,788
Yalu River estuary in northeast China's Liaoning Province is a key biodiversity conservation area in China providing habitats for migratory birds and dozens of endangered species.
Situated at the northern edge of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, the Yalu River estuary in Dandong, Liaoning Province is a crucial stopover site for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway which spans more than 20 countries and regions from the Arctic to Southeast Asia and Australasia.
Staff at the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve are conducting research on the quantity, species, and spatial distribution of migratory waterbirds as they arrive here during their autumn migration.
"By doing these surveys we can understand the waterbirds' migration patterns, food chains and food distribution. We can also track these birds via satellite to monitor their migration routes and timings within the migratory area," said Ma Li from the nature reserve.
Ma added that the reserve has conducted surveys on northbound waterbirds for 26 consecutive years. The number of migratory birds being surveyed can reach 60,000 to 80,000 during the autumn migration.
As well as being a stopover site for migratory birds, Yalu River estuary also contributes to biodiversity conservation by providing vital habitats for endangered species within the region.
Preserving the typical coastal wetland landscape of East Asia, the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve accommodates most species of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeast China, thus maintaining the richness and diversity of wildlife.
The nature reserve is home to 453 species of plants, 324 species of birds, more than 80 species of nektons, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
"In terms of global biodiversity conservation, the Yalu River Estuary Wetland in Dandong supports the survival and development of nearly 20 rare and endangered species in the world. Therefore, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this location holds significant importance," said Lei Guangchun, a professor from Beijing Forestry University.
The Yalu River estuary is one of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) which was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 26.
Migratory bird habitat in China’s Liaoning bears significance for biodiversity conservation
