The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,603, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement released on Sunday.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli military operations in Gaza killed 51 people and wounded 164 others, bringing the total number of injuries to over 102,900, according to the Sunday statement.
Palestinian sources said on Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on refugee camps in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of Palestinians, including children, with many others burying under the rubbles.
According to the Palestinian civil security department, over 30 people killed in the Israeli airstrikes in the Jabalia area in northern Gaza.
A Palestinian news agency reported that the Israeli army bombarded the Nuseirat refugee camp and nearby areas in central Gaza, killing at least four people and injuring many others.
Israel has not made comments on the strikes.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement that its members targeted multiple Israeli targets with rockets and other weapons.
Also on Sunday, a Israeli statement announced that the Israeli Air Force had killed Muhammad Abu Sakhil, head of operations for the Islamic Jihad militant group, in an airstrike in northern Gaza.
The statement described Abu Sakhil as "a significant figure" in Islamic Jihad, and worked with Hamas in joint operations against Israel in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 43,603
The commencement ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on Friday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the cross-border railway project.
In his letter, Xi emphasized that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the governments of the three countries to enhance regional connectivity, prosperity, and stability.
He noted that the project represents a significant step forward in promoting cooperation and development across the region.
At the ceremony, representatives from the three countries unveiled the project's cornerstone.
President Xi's Special Envoy and director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zheng Shanjie, attended the launch ceremony.
Zheng read out President Xi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech at the event, emphasizing the project's significance as a milestone in trilateral cooperation.
He noted that the railway will establish a new land corridor connecting Asia and Europe, greatly contributing to regional prosperity.
He also underscored the importance of close collaboration among the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the railway's construction.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov attended the event, stating that the railway will serve as an important strategic bridge connecting the countries of the East and the West.
He expressed confidence that the three countries will complete the project with high quality, paving the way for new opportunities for common development in the region.
The railway is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, personally championed by the heads of state of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It serves as a strategic connectivity project linking China with Central Asia.
Originating in Kashgar, located in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it will cross the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, proceed westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and terminate in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.
Based on the current progress, the project is set to officially begin construction in July 2025 and is projected to take six years to complete.
Commencement ceremony of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Project held in Kyrgyzstan
