The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has climbed to 54,381 since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel on Oct 7, 2023, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday.
During the past 24 hours, 60 Palestinians were killed and 284 others were injured as a result of Israeli attacks on various areas of the Gaza Strip, the health authorities said in a press statement, noting that the statistics did not include numbers from hospitals in the North Gaza Governorate due to the difficulty of accessing them.
Since Israel resumed its intensified military campaign on March 18, at least 4,117 Palestinians have been killed and 12,013 others injured, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to 54,381, with a total of 124,054 people injured.
The Gaza Strip is suffering from dire humanitarian conditions amid deteriorating security conditions and ongoing military operations, which hinder relief efforts and access to affected populations.
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in January 2025. However, it collapsed two months later when Israeli military operations resumed in the Gaza Strip after the first phase of the agreement ended, without reaching an agreement on the start of its second phase or its extension.
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza rises to 54,381: health authorities
A major port in northern Venezuela came under U.S. airstrikes in the early hours of January 3, which caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, destroyed critical medical supplies in a warehouse, and severely impacted centuries-old cultural heritage sites, according to local residents.
The La Guaira Port, a vital hub for imports that support daily life in the region, was heavily damaged during the attack.
Large quantities of medical supplies stored at the port were destroyed. A historic cultural building dating back for some 300 years was also badly damaged by the bombardment.
Residents living near the port recalled the terrifying scenes as explosions shook nearby neighborhoods.
Humberto Bolivar, who lives in a community separated from the port by only a main road, said the blast waves shattered his home's windows, while stray shrapnel struck the water tank on his roof. According to reports, three missiles were fired at the port that night.
Bolivar said that beyond material losses, he is most concerned about the psychological impact on his children, who remain too frightened to leave their home days after the attack.
"The United States invaded our country. The children were frightened. This is not good for them, because it leaves some children with psychological trauma. They do not want to go to school or leave the house, because they are afraid that something worse might happen. We truly do not want this to happen to our country," he said.
Apart from civilian facilities, local cultural heritage site was also affected.
The La Guaira state government building, a structure with nearly 300 years of history and once served as the site of Venezuela's first national customs office, was struck by the force of the explosions.
Windows of the building were shattered, and furniture scattered across the floor.
"As people of La Guaira, we feel deep pain. Our cultural heritage has been bombed. We are living in constant anxiety and suffering, and life can no longer be the same as it was before," said a local named Henry Cumares.
The U.S. side has claimed the airstrikes targeted warehouses allegedly used to store narcotics. However, locals refuted such accusation.
"According to what Donald Trump said, they bombed this place using the excuse that the warehouses here were used to store drugs at the port. But based on the video released by our governor, these warehouses that were burned contained medicine for kidney patients and foods. Many people depend on these supplies to survive. I think the bombing is extremely despicable," said a local resident named Alejandro Capriles.
US strike hits Venezuelan port, wrecking medical supplies, heritage building
