The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,395 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,287, Gaza's health authorities said on Thursday.
In the last 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza received three bodies -- one newly reported fatality and three others recovered from the rubble, along with seven new injuries, according to Palestinian sources, who also say the remains of some victims are still buried under the rubble.
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 11, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 425 people and wounded 1,206 others. Meanwhile, 688 bodies recovered, according to health authorities.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,395: health authorities
The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, carried out a medical rescue drill in Atlantic waters during its Mission Harmony 2025, testing its capability to provide medical support during long-distance deployments.
The drill marked the vessel's first overseas medical-support exercise in unfamiliar waters in 2026, designed to simulate real-world emergency response scenarios far from home ports.
It brought together the hospital ship, a sea-based medical facility and shipborne helicopters in a coordinated rescue operation.
The exercise was conducted against a simulated backdrop of a commercial vessel in distress on the high seas with multiple casualties. After receiving the emergency signals, a shipborne helicopter immediately took off under an aerial evacuation plan, transferring simulated injured personnel to the triage area for rapid assessment and emergency treatment.
As part of the exercise, medical teams practiced a time-sensitive rescue approach, combining casualty transfer, triage and treatment to ensure prompt and accurate assessment of injuries under operational conditions.
"We followed the principle of providing treatment while transferring and carrying out triage and rescuing, ensuring that casualties are correctly assessed at the earliest time possible. If a patient is in a critical condition, we must carry out necessary emergency treatment in the triage area. Once vital signs are relatively stable, the patient is then transferred to an appropriate treatment unit," said Jiang Yingbo, a member of the Mission Harmony 2025.
Severely injured patients were transferred to intensive care units for further observation and treatment after surgery. A medical expert group then conducted timely consultations to formulate targeted treatment plans.
Under complex sea conditions in distant waters, the drill covered multiple training modules including maritime evacuation, triage, emergency treatment and surgery, strengthening the military medical ship's integrated emergency medical response, and enhancing the navy's far-sea medical support capability, according to the authorities.
Chinese navy hospital ship drills medical rescue in Atlantic waters
