Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 61,369

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip from Israeli attacks has risen to 61,369, with 152,850 others injured since Oct. 7, 2023, Gaza-based health authorities said Saturday.

In the past 24 hours, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of 39 Palestinians and 491 injuries. Among the casualties, 21 were killed and 341 wounded while waiting to receive humanitarian aid supplies.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have recorded 11 new famine and malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll from starvation conditions to 212, including 98 children, the health authorities said.

Hamas issued a statement Saturday afternoon claiming it had demonstrated "maximum sincerity and flexibility" in previous ceasefire and hostage release negotiations, declaring readiness to reach an agreement freeing all captives. The militant group simultaneously warned Israel would "pay a heavy price" for its planned occupation of Gaza City.

The statement came hours after Israel's Prime Minister's Office confirmed the security cabinet had approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to eliminate Hamas, with the Israel Defense Forces preparing to take over Gaza City. These developments have drawn international concern, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and multiple world leaders expressing deep concern about escalating tensions.

Meanwhile, Qatar and the United States are jointly developing a comprehensive ceasefire proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, with plans to present the plan to both Israel and Hamas for discussion within the next fortnight, according to informed sources.

The diplomatic push comes as Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani prepares to meet with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Ibiza, Spain on Saturday, with Gaza ceasefire negotiations topping their agenda.

The development follows stalled indirect talks between Israel and Hamas that began July 6 in Doha regarding a truce and prisoner exchange. Negotiations were suspended July 24 after both Washington and Tel Aviv recalled their delegations from Qatar. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's July 31 meeting with Witkoff, a senior Israeli official revealed both nations had agreed to abandon pursuit of a temporary ceasefire and partial hostage release, instead opting for a comprehensive solution involving Hamas' disarmament, Gaza's demilitarization, and the release of all captives.

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.