Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,553

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,553, with 108,379 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.

The health authorities reported that the Israeli army launched attacks across multiple areas in the Gaza Strip on the New Year's Day, resulting in the deaths of 21 people.

The Israeli Air Force announced on Wednesday that in December 2024, with support from ground forces, it conducted over 1,400 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip using fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, targeting militant strongholds, tunnels and their shafts, weapons depots, and outposts.

Iran will work with other members of the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), both very important cooperation mechanisms with bright prospects, to achieve common goals and visions, said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in an interview with China Media Group.

Araghchi took the interview in Beijing on Dec 28, 2024, during his two-day visit to China.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has now evolved into an influential international cooperation mechanism with an expanded membership.

Iran became a full member of the BRICS on Jan 1, 2024. Last October, Iran attended the BRICS summit in Kazan of Russia for the first time as a full member.

"I have seen very good visions in the BRICS cooperation mechanism. It has a broad prospect. I hope that goals can be achieved through collective cooperation among BRICS countries," Araghchi said.

The SCO, established in 2001, is a regional political, economic and security organization. Iran joined the SCO in 2023.

China has assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025 and will host the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

Araghchi said Iran is looking forward to the summit and will contribute to the development of the bloc with its ideas.

"We believe that besides the BRICS, the SCO is also very important. Therefore, Iran applied to join the bloc. The 2025 SCO summit will be held in China, and our president Masoud Pezeshkian plans to attend the event. Iran has some very good ideas about the SCO, which can help it with some goals. Iran will work with the SCO to realize the vision of the bloc," Araghchi said.