The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 72,051 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with injuries reaching 171,706, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday.
The authorities reported that two bodies and 15 wounded were brought to hospitals in Gaza during the past 48 hours.
Since a ceasefire in Gaza came into effect last October, 591 Palestinians have been killed and 1,598 others wounded, it added.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that its forces had killed a couple of Palestinian militants in northern Gaza earlier that day.
The troops identified and subsequently killed two militants who crossed the Yellow Line, which marks Israeli-controlled areas under the ceasefire, approaching them and posing an immediate threat, the IDF said in a statement.
IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat, it said.
Several other Palestinians, including the elderly and children, were wounded earlier Saturday by Israeli forces in southern and central Gaza during building demolitions, Palestine's official news agency WAFA reported.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 72,051: health authorities
The China Media Group (CMG), the country's flagship broadcaster, completed the fifth and final rehearsal of the highly anticipated Spring Festival Gala on Saturday.
A variety of performances were presented, including creative shows, songs and dances, acrobatics, operas, martial arts, sketches and magic tricks, creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere.
During the rehearsal, the coordination was impeccably smooth between the main venue in Beijing and four sub-venues, Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang, Yiwu in Zhejiang Province and Hefei in Anhui Province, both in east China, and Yibin in Sichuan Province in southwest China. Each of the sub-venues showcased its unique festive traditions and distinctive cultural heritage.
The gala, set to be aired on Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16 this year, will combine traditional Chinese culture with modern stagecraft, as well as cross-cultural performances featuring international artists.
Commonly known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, the gala has been broadcast live every Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983 and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
Just over a year ago, the Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Final rehearsal for 2026 Spring Festival Gala completes
