Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,662

The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,662 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,428, Gaza's health authorities said on Tuesday.

In the past 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza received two more bodies, in addition to nine new injuries, the authorities said.

According to the health authorities, a 12-day-old baby died due to the severe cold weather in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infants who have died from the cold in the Gaza Strip since the onset of winter to 11.

Hamas senior official Hossam Badran said on Tuesday that the Hamas side has fulfilled all the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and accused the Israeli side of continuously delaying the implementation of the deal, especially in terms of opening the Rafah crossing and withdrawing from the occupied areas.

Badran said that the delay in transferring the body of the last detained Israeli was entirely due to technical reasons, and accused Israel of hindering the necessary coordination due to political considerations.

He called for the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which mandates a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the initiation of reconstruction, and the facilitation of aid shipments to ensure the future of Gaza.

Badran emphasized that Hamas' right to resist Israel is internationally recognized, and that its weapons are used for self-defense and are the internal affairs of Palestine. He also said that Hamas is willing to transfer the management authority of the Gaza Strip to a technocratic committee recognized by all parties and will support its operations.

Badran said that there is still no definite opening date for the Rafah border crossing because of delays from the Israeli side and additional inspection requirements. He said that Hamas will continue to handle the relevant issues through mediators and political channels, and stressed that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,662

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday stressed the importance of improving the conduct of officials, building integrity and combating corruption in government work, which will provide a strong guarantee to achieve the goals and tasks of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Li, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a State Council meeting on clean governance.

Addressing the meeting, Li called for higher standards and more practical measures in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, with the aim of ensuring relevant efforts are implemented across all aspects and processes of government work.

He also called for a more resolute, vigorous approach to implementing the CPC Central Committee's decisions and arrangements, as well as efforts to ensure officials have the correct understanding of what it means to perform well.

Moreover, Li called for further work to combat pointless formality and reduce the burden on primary-level officials, and to strengthen audit-based and accounting oversight to ensure the secure, efficient use of public funds and assets.

He also emphasized the need to deal with corruption issues in key areas seriously, as well as those that occur at people's doorsteps.

Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice premier, presided over the meeting.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attended the meeting.

Chinese premier urges integrity, anti-corruption efforts in government work