The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,272, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 20 people and wounded 54 others, bringing the fatalities to 41,272 and injuries to 95,551 since this round of conflict broke out in early October 2023, it added.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported on Wednesday that eight persons, including five children, were killed when Israeli bombed a school-turned-shelter for displaced Palestinians in Gaza City in the northern part of the war-ridden enclave, which also caused many injuries.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the airstrike targeted Hamas militants hidden inside the school.
In addition, an Israeli drone struck a civilian car in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 11 others, according to Palestinian security sources.
Israel announced on the same day that four more soldiers were killed in clashes in Rafah.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 41,272 as conflict grinds on
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
