Displaced Gazans in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, have shared their New Year’s wishes for peace and the rebuilding of their homes in 2025.
As Gaza continues to be ravaged by war, residents say their greatest hope for the new year is to see an end to the conflict and to return to their homes -- a simple dream that remains an immense challenge to achieve.
"Our wish is for this war to end with the arrival of the new year and for the aggression against Gaza to cease. I once had big dreams and ambitions, especially to pursue a postgraduate degree and conduct scientific research. This war has destroyed everything. I hope we can see the light of hope for the future, to once again pursue all the good things in life, like education and research, and to break free from the devastation brought by the war," said a resident named Mohammed Masri.
"Today is my birthday. I am now 11 years old. I had hoped to have a big birthday party at home. My wish for the new year is to return to my home, have a birthday party, invite all my friends and family, go to the park, and do everything I dream of," said Sarah Hassan, a displaced girl.
"My wish for the new year is to rebuild Gaza so that people can return to their homes. The current situation is unlivable, as nearly all the houses have been destroyed, whether in Rafah, Gaza City, or the eastern Gaza Strip, it's the same everywhere,” Shadi Abu Tayir said.
"I hope to return to Gaza City, to my home, and see my family and loved ones, to end this year-long suffering. We have endured war, hunger, skyrocketing prices, and flour shortages. Not just me, but all the residents of Gaza City and our loved ones, I hope we can all safely return to Gaza City. I hope we can have food, safety, and everything necessary for survival," said Reem Hannouneh.
"My wish is to live a peaceful life. I hope the war stops so we can return to our homes. Honestly, we are truly exhausted. Even living in tents would be fine, as long as we can go back to our homes. I hope the war ends and all the suffering comes to an end," Nabil Maqdad said.
"My greatest wish is to have a home where I can live peacefully with my children. We are truly exhausted. We just want to settle down in our own home, reunite with our children, and return to the old days when we were together. I hope the war stops and my children's wishes can come true. The children are like orphans now, with no future ahead of them," Gaza resident Nuha Nasser said.
"My wish for the new year is that this terrible war ends, that the gunfire, killings, deaths and destruction stop. We hope to return to our homes, celebrate weddings with our children, feel joy, and fulfill the dreams we had before the war. This war has blocked all paths. We fled from the north to the south, escaping the shadow of killing and death. In the new year, we hope for an end to the war. As a 60-year-old, I've faced problems, wars, and destruction throughout my life. Every two years, there's another war. When will this end? We hope the war ends and that, like people in other countries, we can live a peaceful and secure life and build a future for our children," said a senior named Bashir Masri.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,541, with 108,338 more injured, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Monday.
Gaza residents pin New Year’s hopes on peace, returning home amid ongoing war destruction
China remains resolute in its pursuit of the dual-carbon goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, positioning the green transition as a core driver of high-quality development, according to Zhao Chenxin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Beijing, Zhao outlined significant achievements in 2024 and provided a roadmap for 2025, which includes advancing carbon reduction initiatives, strengthening green industries, and enhancing ecological protection efforts.
"We've rolled out guidelines for accelerating the green transformation of our economy and society and advancing nearly 200 specific initiatives. We've also released a catalog of industries supporting this transition, promoting 112 green technologies and 47 advanced low-carbon projects. We've developed a two-year action plan for energy conservation and carbon reduction, along with seven sector-specific plans, achieving significant progress. It is predicted that we reduced energy consumption intensity by over 3 percent last year, surpassing our targets. Additionally, we’ve implemented 194 national standards in the 'dual-carbon' field and supporting local governments in establishing carbon emission budget systems," Zhao said.
Zhao also emphasized that efforts in resource conservation and ecological protection continued to gain momentum.
"We've rolled out policies on promoting food conservation, reducing food waste, developing water-saving industries, and encouraging waste recycling. More than 60 billion yuan (about 8.2 billion U.S. dollars) of government funding has been allocated to enhance environmental infrastructure and support major ecosystem protection and restoration projects, including the 'Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program'. Additionally, we've formulated the Ecological Protection Compensation Regulations, and increased the annual funding of central and local governments to nearly 300 billion yuan (over 41 billion U.S. dollars)," Zhao added.
In addition, significant attention was given to programs aimed at large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins.
"In 2024, we allocated 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs. In the first 11 months of the year, national investment in equipment and tool procurement rose 15.8 percent year on year, contributing 65.3 percent to overall investment growth. Through the trade-in program, over 60 percent of consumers chose new energy vehicles, driving the domestic penetration rate of new energy passenger cars to over 50 percent for six consecutive months," Zhao explained.
Looking ahead, China will mark two major milestones in 2025 - the 20th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping introducing the concept that 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' and the fifth year since China announced its dual-carbon goals.
Zhao said that the commission will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and prioritize these efforts by advancing carbon reduction, pollution control, green growth, and ecological expansion, while accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society.
"We will actively plan the carbon peaking initiatives for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), develop integrated evaluation and assessment methods, advance national carbon peaking pilot projects, and accelerate the building of zero-carbon industrial parks. We will further strengthen fiscal, financial, investment, and pricing policies and standards to foster the healthy development of green and low-carbon industries," Zhao stated.
"We will continue to enhance environmental infrastructure, implement major ecosystem protection and restoration projects, and explore mechanisms to realize the value of ecological products. We will work to achieve greater results in promoting the programs of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in, so as to increase funding, broaden coverage, optimize the implementation of the policies, and amplify their leverage effects in 2025," Zhao concluded.
China reaffirms commitment to green transition and dual-carbon goals: NDRC
