A total of 855 people have been killed and 1,869 others wounded in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military resumed intense airstrikes across the enclave on March 18, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.
The renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza ended a two-month truce between Israel and Hamas.
Over the past 24 hours, Israeli military operations in Gaza killed at least 25 Palestinian people and wounded 82 others, bringing the Palestinian death toll since the latest round of Israel-Hamas fighting erupted in early October 2023 to 50,208, and the number of injuries to 113,910, the statement said.
Renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza since March 18 kill 855 people: health authorities
Renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza since March 18 kill 855 people: health authorities
The Party chief of Central China's Hunan Province has reiterated the province's commitment to creating a fair, transparent and predictable business environment for private enterprises, as part of efforts to make private entrepreneurs feel more confident in the market.
In an exclusive interview with China Media Group, Shen Xiaoming, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hunan Provincial Committee, laid out a series of targeted reforms aimed at supporting private businesses.
Hunan will earnestly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at a symposium on private enterprises by focusing on improving the precision and effectiveness of its policies, introducing practical and effective measures to ease the burden on private companies and unleash their development potential, he said.
"General Secretary Xi's speech at the symposium sent a strong and consistent signal that the Party and the state care about, value, and support the development of the private economy. The key to promote private sector growth lies in creating a healthy business environment. We will roll out targeted, impactful policies and abolish outdated regulations that hinder private enterprises," said Shen.
To further reduce operational costs, Hunan is launching various initiatives, while exploring a one-stop mechanism for handling company feedback. Shen highlighted the province's dual focus on reducing energy and logistics costs.
"We're working toward two major cost reductions. First, lowering energy costs by increasing electricity imports into Hunan, so enterprises can access cheaper power. Second, cutting logistics costs by promoting multimodal transportation and optimizing the overall logistics network to bring down total social logistics expenses," said Shen.
In 2025, Hunan also aims to build a fairer business environment through deepened administrative reforms. The province is pushing for fully digital, transparent, and traceable government services, while using big data to eliminate hidden barriers to market access.
"We're accelerating the creation of a unified digital platform for public resource transactions. Private enterprises will be treated equally in government procurement and public project bidding. Improving the business environment is an ongoing endeavor rather than a task to be completed. We will continue to act on the general secretary's message, helping private businesses better grow with greater confidence," said Shen.
China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector
