Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Tel Aviv to mark 77th Nakba Day

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in at Tel Aviv University in Israel on Wednesday to mark the 77th anniversary of Nakba, the massive exodus of Palestinians that occurred in 1948 following the establishment of the state of Israel.

The "Nakba," which means "catastrophe" in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It is generally commemorated on May 15.

The demonstrators included students from different universities, members of the Israeli Arab community, and other pro-Palestinian supporters. Many held placards condemning Israel's current actions in Gaza.

The total Palestinian death toll since the latest round of fighting erupted in October 2023, has reached 53,010, health officials in Gaza said on Thursday.

Israel resumed large-scale military operations in Gaza in March, ending a two-month ceasefire.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 71 percent of the Gaza Strip is now under Israeli displacement orders or designated as militarized zones, restricting Palestinian access. Over 436,000 people are estimated to have been displaced again since March.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Tel Aviv to mark 77th Nakba Day

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Tel Aviv to mark 77th Nakba Day

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday chaired a State Council executive meeting during which arrangements were made to implement a package of policies that will boost domestic demand by leveraging coordinated fiscal and financial measures.

The meeting noted that the package is an important measure to expand effective demand and innovate the approaches of macro-control.

Efforts should be made to refine loan interest subsidy policies for businesses in the services sector and personal consumption, aiming to expand the supply of high-quality services and boost household purchasing power, the meeting said.

It said that loan interest subsidy policies will be implemented for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with an eye to bolstering private investment, and to lowering financing thresholds and costs for companies.

It stressed that basic public services should be provided based on an individual's place of permanent residence. Efforts will be made to address the most pressing concerns of permanent residents without a local household registration, and on improving their access to education, healthcare and employment services.

Chinese premier stresses coordination of fiscal, financial policies to boost demand