The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 48,181 despite a ceasefire agreement, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement released on Saturday.
During the past 48 hours, despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli military killed four people and wounded five others, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 48,181 and injuries to 111,638 since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, it added.
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement in Gaza came into effect on January 19, after more than 15 months of deadly strikes. The Gaza deal includes a 42-day initial phase of truce, during which a total of 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails are to be released.
Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said on Saturday that Israel's continued violations of the ceasefire agreement could lead to its collapse. He said that Israel has been delaying the delivery of food, medicine, tents and other supplies to the Gaza Strip, and, in disregard of the ceasefire agreement, continues to kill Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
He warned the ceasefire deal was in danger, but Hamas did not want to return to war.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbs to 48,181
The Trump administration's move to cut public funding for the Voice of America (VOA), a propaganda tool for the U.S. government, is due to competing interests and struggles between different political factions, a Chinese expert said during an interview on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on March 14 signed an executive order, which listed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency of VOA, as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy.
More than 1,300 VOA employees, including journalists, producers and assistants, were reportedly placed on administrative leave on Saturday.
Diao Daming, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, shared his insights on why Trump halted funding for the agency during his second term.
"He feels that VOA has not effectively fulfilled its mission to make the United States great again and serve the country's interests. On the other hand, public opinion institutions under the USAGM, including VOA, have been openly critical of Trump, his team, and his administration, particularly regarding certain policies during his first term. After assuming office for a second term, Trump swiftly implemented this tough measure, which is evidently influenced by competing interests and struggles between different political factions," said Diao.
Founded in 1942, the VOA has long served as a political tool for the U.S. government, engaging in ideological confrontation and shaping public opinion. For over 80 years, regardless of whether the Democratic or Republican Party was in power, funding for institutions like VOA remained uninterrupted.
Experts described the VOA as a propaganda machine aimed at ideological infiltration in certain regions, as many of its programs are inaccessible within the United States and are instead broadcast exclusively to specific countries abroad.
"In the past, when I served as a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, I encountered VOA reporters at domestic events, international conferences, and various occasions. They would, for example, selectively ask questions during interviews, selectively edit our responses, and then selectively report and broadcast them. Given such practices, how much credibility can VOA really have?" said Yang Yujun, dean of the Academy of Media and Public Affairs at the Communication University of China.
Trump's cut to VOA due to struggles between different political factions: expert
