This Ramadan, hundreds of families in Gaza sat down for iftar with incomplete tables after losing loved ones to Israeli airstrikes last May.
“We deplore the Israeli government’s decision to introduce senseless violence to a prayer space. There was no need for the violence we witnessed. This situation
could have been defused peacefully. This Ramadan/Easter/Passover Israel betrayed its trust with the world’s Muslims, Christians and Jews.” From JVP rabbis’ statement on the fourth day of Passover.
Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem Friday morning, attacking worshipers with rubber bullets, tear gas, and live ammunition, resulting in the injury of over 150 Palestinians, and the arrest of at least 400 more.
Palestinians are hoping for a Ramadan without war this year. Mahmoud Nasser shares the captivating sights of the festive month in Gaza.
Every year, millions of Palestinians anxiously await the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, a beloved and cherished month by Muslims around the world. And while many people find great joy in this month, the sweetness of Ramadan in Gaza is often soured by the effects of the Israeli siege on Gaza, which is inevitably felt every day, even during the holiday.
A month that should be filled with happiness, peace, and devotion has unfortunately, in Palestine, become synonymous with occupation, apartheid, and repression.
Israeli forces injured and arrested dozens of Palestinians over the weekend in occupied East Jerusalem, as Muslims marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Last year, Israeli police violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem during the holiday was the primary driver of Palestinian protests that swelled into the May 2021 uprisings.
Over 16,000 housing units were damaged during the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza, and 1,800 units were completely destroyed. While that destruction is immense, what those numbers don’t capture is what else was lost in those places — the irreplaceable photos, keepsakes, and possessions and that made each a home.
Once more, the holy month of Ramadan arrives while its tragedies are still festering, this time a surge in coronavirus cases in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Ramadan is underway in the tightly packed Gaza Strip. Officials have eased some restrictions on social distancing allowing Palestinians a reprieve from isolation to buy sweets and gifts to celebrate the Islamic holy month.