China launched its first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship in Shanghai on Friday, designed to strengthen the navy's combat ability in distant seas.
Named after southwest China's Sichuan Province, the independently-developed new vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony. It was given the hull number 51.
The ship has a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tonnes and features a dual-island superstructure along with a full-length flight deck.
It incorporates innovative electromagnetic catapult and arrestor technologies, enabling it to carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and amphibious equipment.
As the new-generation amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, it plays a key role in advancing the Navy's transformation and enhancing its combat capabilities in the far seas, according to Navy officials.
Following its launch, the ship will undergo a series of planned tests, including equipment verification, mooring tests, and sea trials.
China launches new-generation amphibious assault ship
China launches new-generation amphibious assault ship
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,436, with 108,038 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.
The rise in the number of fatalities came after 37 more Palestinians were killed and 98 others were injured in the past 24 hours by Israeli strikes.
The Israeli army reportedly set fire to parts of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, after storming the facility, according to Palestinian medical officials.
Munir al-Borsh, Director General of Gaza's health authorities, stated that Israeli forces forced all medical staff, patients, and their companions to evacuate to the hospital's outer courtyard before torching large sections of the key medical facility in northern Gaza.
Eyewitnesses and sources reported seeing smoke rising from the main sections of the hospital as the Israeli soldiers set fire to the structure. The army also conducted searches of the wounded and patients in the courtyard and transferred hospital staff to a nearby school.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the incident.
Prior to the raid, the hospital was housing around 350 people, including 75 wounded patients and their companions. Kamal Adwan is the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, serving over 400,000 people before the ongoing conflict. The Israeli army has blockaded the hospital for more than two months as part of its military operations in northern Gaza.
Gaza-based health authorities also reported that an Israeli airstrike on a building near the hospital killed around 50 people, including five medical staff, on Thursday. The authorities called on the international community to urgently intervene to protect civilians and health workers in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,436
