Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 39,929: ministry

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 39,929, the health authorities in the besieged enclave said on Tuesday.

A total of 92,240 people had been wounded in Gaza since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October, the health authorities said in a statement.

The statement said that in the past 48 hours, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip resulted in 32 deaths and 88 injuries.

Since the conflict broke out on Oct 7 last year, more than 16,000 children and over 11,000 women in Gaza have been killed, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Monday.

The media office reported that 69 percent of the wounded in Gaza are women and children, and a total of 17,000 children in the region have lost at least one parent.

It added that 885 medical workers have been killed in the latest round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, 34 hospitals have stopped treating patients, and 80 medical centers have been forced to close.

The exchange of fire between the two sides continues.

Five people were killed in Israeli attacks on Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip and seven more were killed after Israel bombed a house in the Al-Bureij refugee camp, also in the central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

At least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the eastern part of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza on Monday, according to a Palestinian news agency.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement Monday claiming they had confirmed the death of 31 Palestinian armed militants in a bombing of a school in Gaza City in the early hours of Saturday.

Also on Monday, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) released a video showing their militants attacking Israeli targets and soldiers.

Israeli Government Spokesperson David Mencer on Monday said that according to the proposal of the United States and other mediators, Israel will send a delegation to participate in ceasefire talks on August 15. He said the talks aimed to finalize the framework of a ceasefire agreement and the implementation details. Israel hopes that the detainees will be released and other goals of the war will be achieved.

Hamas released a statement on Sunday claiming that it has always hoped for the success of the efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators since the latest round of conflict began. To this end, Hamas has participated in several rounds of talks and responded to the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli detainees in early July. However, Israel subsequently introduced new conditions that had not been previously discussed, continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip, and targeted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the statement said, confirming Israel's intention to continue the war and its unwillingness to reach a ceasefire agreement. Even after calls from Qatari, Egyptian, and American leaders for Israel and Hamas to resume talks on the 15th, Israeli troops bombed a school in Gaza on Saturday, killing more than 100 people. Hamas has called on the mediators to submit an implementation plan and compel Israel to adhere to it based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions and previous consultation outcomes, rather than conducting further negotiations or presenting new proposals that might serve as cover for Israeli attacks.

On Thursday night, the leaders of the US, Egypt, and Qatar called on Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations in Doha, Qatar, or Cairo, Egypt, on the 15th, in order to resolve all remaining differences and begin implementing the agreement.

Israel has been waging a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 39,929: ministry

Savory mooncakes are becoming a new trend for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival within Singapore's Chinese community this year, prompting local bakeries and restaurants to experiment with innovative fillings such as meat, crayfish, salted egg yolk, and more.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the Ngee Ann City complex is hosting a mooncake fair, attracting local and international bakeries and restaurants to offer a variety of options for residents.

While traditional flavors like lotus seed paste and crushed nuts remain popular, savory mooncakes -- particularly those with meat fillings -- have emerged as the hit this year.

"We started with Shanghai savory meat mooncakes and later experimented with crayfish, salted egg yolk, and our special recipe, crab meat mince mooncakes. We did not expect that, after launching them on the market, Singaporean customers would go from initially being surprised and shocked to fully accepting them. Now, they even place orders with us in advance," said Wang Yanqing, who initiated the creation of the new type of mooncake at a local restaurant..

The restaurant reports that more than 70,000 mooncakes were sold in just one month. The savory mooncakes have received many compliments and have quickly become a new local favorite.

"This is the first time I’ve tried a meat mooncake. Let me put it that way: it’s savory. It is a brand-new type of mooncake for us. It tastes very special, very innovative," said Fang Xiaolin, a Singaporean customer.

"Actually, it was the first time trying the savory mooncakes. I think it's so innovative and interesting because it's just very different from the usual mooncakes that we have in the market, so it tastes really savory and fresh, and I think a lot of Singaporeans will like it," said Fu Lina, another Singaporean customer.

In addition to enjoying a variety of mooncakes, Singaporean Chinese celebrate the festival with lantern shows, similar to traditional Chinese customs. The annual Mid-Autumn lantern show lights up Niu Che Shui Chinatown every night, attracting both locals and visitors.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has long been a cultural cornerstone for Chinese communities around the world.

Savory mooncakes gain popularity as Singapore celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival