President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini arrived in Beijing Monday afternoon to begin his three-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.
This is President Pellegrini's first visit to China since he took office. According to a previous announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi will hold talks with Pellegrini to jointly chart a blueprint for the future development of China-Slovakia relations and exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
Slovakia is China's important cooperation partner in Europe. The two countries have always treated each other with mutual respect and equality, and their traditional friendship has stood the test of time. In recent years, the two sides have achieved fruitful cooperation in fields of economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges, infrastructure, and green development, continuously enhancing the well-being of their people.
Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini arrives in Beijing
Civil Defense teams in the Gaza Strip are struggling to carry out a major operation to recover the remains of hundreds of people still believed to be buried underneath, but a severe shortage of heavy equipment is making the task extremely difficult.
Israel acknowledged earlier this year that at least 70,000 people were killed during its two-year bombardment of Gaza, leaving the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
Sabra, one of Gaza City's hardest-hit neighborhoods, saw dozens of homes destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, burying many residents under the rubble.
The Abu Sharia family was among the worst affected, losing more than 200 relatives, many of whom remain trapped beneath the debris.
Ibrahim Abu Sharia lost his children, brothers, and many extended family members.
"All the families here carry the same wound. Life was already difficult, and now it has become even harder. For nearly three years we have come here every day remembering them. These recovery operations have renewed our pain. Even when remains are recovered, we cannot tell whose bones they are," he said.
Gaza Civil Defense crews face a daunting task amid the massive destruction, with a severe shortage of heavy machinery and specialized equipment.
"Every building here has victims beneath the rubble. This work requires heavy equipment, but unfortunately it is not available in Gaza. Right now, we are working with this single excavator to recover the victims and remove the debris," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is supporting the operation with fuel and equipment, while Palestinian human rights groups estimate that more than 10,000 people remain missing beneath Gaza's rubble.
"We are supporting the civil defense in Gaza to continue their excavation operations to recover deceased Palestinians beneath the rubble. Thousands of families in Gaza have been in agony and uncertainty for the past two and a half years, waiting to be able to recover their loved ones, to mourn them and bury them," said Amani Al Naouq, an ICRC spokeswoman in Gaza.
According to the United Nations, more than 90 percent of Gaza's housing has been damaged or destroyed, and the Palestinian death toll has risen above 73,000.
Gaza struggles to recover remains buried under rubble with few tools
