China is set to handle more than 270 million inter-regional passenger trips nationwide on Thursday, the 11th day of this year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period, according to data released by the Ministry of Transport.
Railways expect to carry 15.05 million passengers on Thursday, with 2,039 extra trains added. As of 08:00 Thursday, over 210 million tickets had already been sold via 12306, the nation's train ticket booking platform.
Stations have stepped up assistance for elderly passengers, children, and other travelers needing extra support.
On the highway front, Thursday saw a pre-holiday travel peak, with national expressway traffic expected to surpass 42 million vehicle-trips.
Meanwhile, civil aviation also reported robust operations amid the travel surge, planning to operate 19,911 flights and handling about 2.47 million passenger trips.
Major airports have added more self-service check-in, baggage drop, and security screening equipment to improve efficiency.
The travel rush, also known as chunyun, which runs from Feb 2 to March 13 this year, is expected to see a record 9.5 billion inter-regional passenger trips across the country.
Over 270 mln inter-regional passenger trips expected on Day 11 of Spring Festival travel rush
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said on Friday that Israel remains committed to the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
"We are not giving up on the war goal -- the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas," Zamir said during a tour of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
Accompanied by senior commanders, he ordered forces to intensify clearing operations in the area with a focus on destroying tunnel networks.
The army chief noted that troops are deployed along the "Yellow Line," demarcating Israeli-controlled areas under the ceasefire, systematically clearing "terrorist" infrastructure while controlling access to the strip.
Earlier on Friday, the IDF said in a statement that its troops in the northern Gaza Strip identified two militants entering a structure east of the "Yellow Line." The Israeli Air Force subsequently struck the building, with a hit confirmed.
A day earlier, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Palestinian factions would not give up their weapons unless Israel fully adheres to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The latest Hamas-Israel ceasefire, in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, initially focused on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid to Gaza. A proposed second phase of the peace plan calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the start of reconstruction in the enclave under a transitional governing authority.
Israeli army chief says Gaza demilitarization remains top goal
