China expects 9 bln passenger trips during upcoming Spring Festival travel rush

A record high of nine billion passenger trips are expected to be made during China's upcoming Spring Festival travel rush period, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent, according to a video and telephone conference which was held on Tuesday on the country's busiest annual period of mass migration.

Of the total, 510 million and 90 million trips will be made via railways and civil aviation, respectively, reaching new highs compared to one year ago.

The travel rush, also known as "Chunyun," is usually a period of high transportation demand as people return home for family reunions. The 2025 Chunyun will last from Jan 14 to Feb 22.

The Spring Festival, China's biggest traditional festival, will fall on Jan 29 in 2025.

Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Emergency Management and other departments issued a plan on ensuring transportation services during the upcoming travel rush.

Officials said the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush will be characterized by six features.

"First, the nationwide cross-regional trips will hit a record high. Second, self-driving will play a major role, with demand increasing for charging new energy vehicles. Third, most travelers tend to visit relatives or go on a trip, placing high pressure on rural areas and popular tourist cities to ensure transportation safety. Fourth, important transportation channels and major city clusters will face high pressure. Travelers will flock to city clusters including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing. Transportation channels such as Shanghai-Chengdu (Expressway), Shanghai-Nanjing (Railway) and Qiongzhou Strait will face a surge in travel demand. Fifth, there is a strong demand for the transportation of materials to ensure winter heating and energy, people's livelihood, and spring farming and preparation, placing pressure to coordinate public travel and the transportation of key materials. Sixth, harsh weather is prone to occur frequently in winter and spring, and the tasks of safe production, emergency support, and smooth traffic are arduous," said He Ming, director of the road passenger transport management division at the transport services department under the Ministry of Transport.

China expects 9 bln passenger trips during upcoming Spring Festival travel rush

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,658, with 108,583 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.

In the past 24 hours alone, at least 77 people were killed and 145 others were injured in Gaza, according to the statement.

Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing seven people, including four children. Several others were injured, some of whom are in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has threatened medical teams, patients, and staff at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, warning that the facility will be bombed unless they evacuate immediately.

The Hamas-run media office reported on Friday that the Israel Defense Forces continue to destroy hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving approximately 40,000 Palestinians without access to medical services.

On the same day, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, stated that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened due to freezing winter temperatures and recent rainfall. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid entering the region remains severely limited, leaving residents in urgent need of shelters and other essential supplies.

According to a UN report released in mid-December last year, at least 945,000 Gazans are in urgent need of winter items such as warm clothing, blankets, and tarpaulins.

The IOM has reiterated its call for all parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease fire, release detainees, protect Gaza's civilians, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid.

Hamas confirmed on Friday that indirect negotiations with Israel have resumed in Doha, Qatar, with the goal of achieving a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas said that the latest round of talks is expected to focus on achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, securing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and facilitating the safe and prompt return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.

Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,658