The atmosphere of Ramadan this year was absent for the Palestinian Abdullah Abu Amra, who was displaced from his home in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City, to the city of Rafah, located in the far south of the Gaza Strip, due to the ongoing Israeli war for the sixth month in a row.

A state of fear and anxiety dominates Abu Amra and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in light of repeated Israeli threats to launch a large-scale ground operation in the city of Rafah, which is witnessing the displacement of 1.3 million people due to the ongoing Israeli war since October 7, 2023.

There are no festive appearances for the month of Ramadan in light of the widespread destruction witnessed in the various areas of the Gaza Strip, as it witnessed widespread and unprecedented destruction of homes, residential towers, schools and mosques.

The markets are also witnessing a shortage and shortage of basic foodstuffs, vegetables and meat, which Palestinians in Gaza are accustomed to having in large quantities at such times, coinciding with the beginning of the month of Ramadan, as a result of the harsh Israeli siege since the beginning of the war.

In addition, many prices have risen significantly, some exceeding ten times their normal price, as a result of which Palestinians are unable to provide their basic needs, especially the basic commodities needed to eat suhoor and breakfast during the month of fasting.

In addition, the markets lack the availability of Ramadan decorations, which were always spread early and approximately a month or more before the month of fasting, in light of the lack of a ceasefire, the continuation of the Israeli war, and the state of starvation and killing taking place against the Palestinians.

In addition to this matter, the goods available in the markets do not match those that were offered in these times, and which suit the needs of fasting people, such as jam, sweets, meat, and various types of food that were available in large and abundant quantities.

During such times, Palestinians used to shop and buy their needs for the month of Ramadan from markets, commercial centers and various stores, including popular markets that were witnessing unusual economic activity compared to normal days.

Ramadan: The smell of blood and hunger

In this context, the displaced Palestinian Abdullah Abu Amra says that the atmosphere of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip this year is dominated by the smell of blood and hunger as a result of the continuation of the Israeli war and the state of siege witnessed in the areas of Gaza City and the northern Strip.

According to the displaced Palestinian, fear of the unknown is the most prominent source of anxiety and thinking for Palestinians these days, which makes many hope that the first period of Ramadan will witness the possibility of reaching an agreement that will stop the war and end the state of killing and starvation.

Fasting before the beginning of the month

As for the Palestinian Ghazi Abdel Salam, who was not displaced from the northern Gaza Strip, he and his family live in a severe state of hunger due to the shortage of food supplies and their unavailability in local markets due to the Israeli siege imposed on these areas since the beginning of the war.

He points out that many people these days resort to relying on animal feed to make bread, or relying on some herbs and weeds to make food to overcome the severe food shortage, which exacerbates the state of hunger.

He explains that the month of Ramadan will exacerbate the health condition of thousands in light of the fact that the war of genocide and starvation that the Palestinians have been waging has not ended since the beginning of this war last October and the lack of sufficient interventions that provide food for everyone and ensure an end to this situation.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and medical sources in Gaza, 27 Palestinians lost their lives, including children, the elderly, and women, due to malnutrition and dehydration in the Gaza Strip. The majority of them are from the northern areas of the Strip and Gaza City, amid expectations that the number will rise in light of the continuing state of starvation.

Absent atmosphere and destroyed mosques

Unusually, many areas do not have mosques, as the Israeli occupation army destroyed dozens of mosques in the Gaza Strip, whether by bombing them from the air or through bombing operations that affected them during the ground incursions that took place into Gaza.

For his part, Director General of the Government Information Office in Gaza, Ismail Al-Thawabta, confirms that the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip for the sixth month in a row has serious repercussions on the Palestinian people’s reception of the holy month of Ramadan.

He continues: “People are preoccupied with how to provide their basic needs for children and the family in general, and they have a feeling of anxiety and tension. Ramadan is coming to Gaza and the occupation has killed the joy of this great month. This world is experiencing the worst stages of its life of slander and collusion against the people of the Gaza Strip and the height of identification with the occupation in its war.” 

The director of the government media office in Gaza points out that the month of Ramadan comes this year and the Israeli occupation army has destroyed 506 mosques without taking into account the feelings of Muslims, without any religious considerations, and without any consideration of the sanctity of these mosques as places of worship, at a time when the Gaza Strip has become Destructive by more than 80% in terms of all vital sectors.