Israel's tightened blockade on Gaza is plunging the territory into a humanitarian catastrophe, with famine spreading rapidly and leaving hundreds of thousands of residents on the brink of starvation.
Residents like Abdul Karim Saidam, a father of six from the Nuseirat refugee camp, face grueling, hours-long waits for scarce food aid.
"I want to get food for my children so I can feed them. Making a living is hard, as you can see. The crossings are closed. There's nothing we can do. The situation is difficult. The economic situation we're in is hard. I come here to feed my children. I come early in the morning to stand in line until noon. So, I can get cooked food for my children, and then I go back home to feed them. We stay until 12 o'clock filling food. We come in the morning from 8:00 until 12:00," he said.
"I send a message: May Allah relieve us, things get better, and the siege ends," he added.
Since March 2, when the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas ended, Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, sharply reducing the entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid.
On Friday, United Nations agencies released a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, stating that more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths. This is the first time since the report was established over 20 years ago that a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East.
Palestinian health authorities said on Saturday that eight more Palestinians, including two children, died from starvation and malnutrition over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll of such fatalities to 281 in the latest round of the conflicts.
Gaza residents face harrowing struggles as blockade intensifies famine crisis
Gaza residents face harrowing struggles as blockade intensifies famine crisis
Gaza residents face harrowing struggles as blockade intensifies famine crisis
China's securities regulator has pledged to prioritize market stability and resolutely prevent sharp fluctuations as a core objective for 2026, aiming to consolidate sound development of the capital market.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) made the commitment at its annual work conference on Thursday, where the regulator reviewed the past year's performance and outlined key tasks for 2026.
In 2025, listed companies distributed a combined total of 2.68 trillion yuan (about 380 billion U.S. dollars) in cash dividends and share buybacks throughout the year, further consolidating the momentum for high-quality development.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) and follow-on offerings reached a combined 1.26 trillion yuan, while the exchange bond market issued various bonds totaling 16.3 trillion yuan.
Eighteen futures and options products were smoothly listed, demonstrating the robust functioning of the multi-tiered capital market.
The meeting emphasized that while the capital market currently shows stable and sound performance, it still faces complex and severe challenges posed by intertwined domestic and external risks as well as the overlapping of persisting and emerging issues.
Efforts will be made to effectively enhance the intrinsic stability of the market, the CSRC said, adding that it will rigorously investigate and punish excessive speculation, market manipulation, and other illegal activities to prevent sharp market fluctuations.
It will work to foster a market ecosystem where "long-term capital engages in long-term investment," the regulator said, pledging efforts to broaden the channels for medium and long-term capital inflows, introduce various products and risk management tools suited to long-term investment, and actively guide long-term, rational and value-based investment.
It also vowed to enhance the inclusiveness and adaptability of the multi-tiered equity market, crack down on illegal activities such as financial fraud, price manipulation and insider trading, and enhance corporate governance among listed firms.
The CSRC will advance the two-way opening up of the capital market in 2026.
Efforts will be made to expedite the implementation of the optimized Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor scheme, expand the scope of futures products accessible to foreign investors, and enhance the facilitation of cross-border investment and financing, the regulator said.
China's securities regulator stresses market stability in 2026 work plan
China's securities regulator stresses market stability in 2026 work plan
