Gaza death toll surges over 30,000 as a strike kills and wounds scores waiting for aid
Jerusalem, Feb 29: More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war nearly five months ago, health officials in the territory said as a strike on a crowd of people waiting for aid in Gaza City killed and wounded scores on Thursday.
At least 70 people were killed as Palestinians lined up for humanitarian assistance, said Gaza's Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra. Another 280 people were wounded, he said. The war has driven 80% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes, and UN officials say a quarter of the population is starving.
After the strike, Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war in the territory climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. The ministry does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 Hamas group members, without providing evidence.
Israel's air, sea and ground offensive launched in response to Hamas' Oct 7 attack has caused widespread devastation in Gaza City, largely isolating it from the rest of the territory for months, with little aid entering.
The war has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and sparked global concern over the situation in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety from Israel's daily bombardments.
The war began after Hamas-led group stormed across southern Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.
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Gujarat govt to provide new PNG connections to hotels, hostels, educational institutes
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat government has decided to provide new PNG (piped natural gas) connections to restaurants, hotels, educational and socio-religious institutions located in areas where the pipeline distribution network is available, if they apply for the facility.
The decision was taken on Friday at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The meeting reviewed the status of PNG and petroleum products in the state in the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has severely disrupted global energy supplies.
"The CM took an important decision that in the areas of the state where pipeline network for city gas distribution is available, restaurants, hotels, educational and socio-religious institutions demanding new PNG connections will be given the same with immediate effect as per their needs," stated an official release.
The meeting was informed that a sufficient quantity of natural gas supply was currently available in the state for citizens who get gas through pipelines for domestic use, it said.
The government on Thursday insisted that adequate stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and PNG are available in the state for domestic consumption despite the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia, from where India imports a large share of its energy products.
Continuous monitoring is being carried out by the Centre and state authorities to ensure uninterrupted supply and distribution of LPG cylinders across Gujarat, it had said.
