People of the Tibetan ethnic group marked the first day of the Tibetan Fire Horse New Year on Wednesday with lively cultural performances.
The Tibetan New Year, or Losar, is the most significant celebration for people of the Tibetan ethnic group. This year, it coincides with the Spring Festival, which fell on Tuesday and ushered in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
In Kangding City of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, local residents celebrated the Tibetan New Year with colorful parades and folk performances. A series of performances including Tibetan operas, folk dances, and music performed on traditional instruments, took to the stage, winning warm applauses from locals and visitors.
Meanwhile, in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, local families dressed in festive attire gathered to share festive delicacies. They danced together while performing traditional Tibetan Balang drums, an intangible cultural heritage item of Gansu Province, to pray for peace and well-being in the coming year.
People of Tibetan ethnic group celebrate New Year
The Hamas-run Gaza media office said on Thursday that 1,148 Palestinians have crossed the Rafah border crossing in both directions since its reopening earlier this month.
In a brief press statement, the office said that 1,148 travelers passed through the crossing, out of 3,400 who were expected to cross during the same period.
According to the statement, a total of 640 people departed and 508 returned to the Gaza Strip from Feb. 2 through Wednesday. It added that 26 Palestinians were turned back while attempting to leave, without any explanation.
It had been expected that 50 Palestinians, including patients and wounded individuals, would leave Gaza daily, accompanied by two companions, while another 50 would return each day, according to media reports.
On Monday, Hamas accused Israel of a "blatant violation" of the Rafah crossing's operational mechanisms stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
In a press statement, Hamas said that despite the reopening of the crossing, Israeli authorities continued to violate the agreed mechanisms and subjected returning travelers to physical and psychological mistreatment and harsh interrogations.
The movement added that Israel had failed to adhere to the daily quotas for departures and returns, placing the lives of thousands of patients and wounded individuals in danger due to delays in receiving medical treatment abroad.
The limited operation of the Rafah crossing began on Feb. 2, marking its first partial reopening in more than a year and a half. The move came as part of a preliminary trial phase under a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Returning travelers and Palestinian factions have accused the Israeli army of restricting their freedom of movement through extensive searches, prolonged questioning, and confiscation of personal belongings. Israeli authorities have not commented on the allegations.
The Rafah crossing has been mostly closed since Israeli forces took control of the area in May 2024, cutting off Gaza from the outside world and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
1,148 Palestinians cross reopened Rafah crossing: Gaza media office
