The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip has risen to 43,163, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli military operations in Gaza killed 102 people and wounded 287 others, bringing the total number of injuries to 101,510, according to the statement.
According to Palestinian media, the Israeli army has recently re-launched a blockade on northern Gaza.
The Beit Lahia municipality on Wednesday declared the city in northern Gaza a "disaster" area due to ongoing Israeli attacks.
On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike on a building in the city killed over 110 people, and injured dozens.
Israeli troops continued to attack Beit Lahia and Gaza City on Wednesday. The Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza were also attacked on the same day.
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 43,163
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 43,163
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
