A total of 72,593 Palestinians have been killed and 172,399 wounded in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, said Gaza health authorities on Monday.
Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10 last year, 817 Palestinians have died and 2,296 have been injured, the report said. In the past 24 hours, hospitals across Gaza received seven bodies and 18 wounded, according to the statement.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 72,593
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 72,593
Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez on Monday urged the international community to uphold existing rules and ensure that international shipping lanes remain unimpeded amid rising tensions in strategic waterways.
Dominguez emphasized at a press session that safeguarding the security and unimpeded flow of international maritime routes is a critical prerequisite for maintaining global trade stability and orderly maritime transport.
He reiterated that no country has the right to obstruct international shipping lanes.
"The freedom of navigation is not negotiable for IMO and no country has the right to obstruct the traffic on a strait for international navigation," said Dominguez.
Dominguez also noted that de-escalation is the key to safely evacuating around 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the IMO is continuing efforts to facilitate the evacuation of stranded seafarers. However, he emphasized that no evacuation framework can be implemented until safety is ensured.
According to the IMO, since late February, when military actions escalated in the region, the organization has verified multiple attacks on vessels in the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in casualties among seafarers and damage to ships.
IMO chief reaffirms freedom of navigation, calls for de-escalation in Strait of Hormuz
