First Gaza Ramadan after ceasefire

已複製連結

On the first day of Ramadan these children sit outside their tents in the Gaza strip and play with make-shift lanterns they've fashioned from empty soda cans.

It's a far cry from the first day of Ramadan before the war when the al-Zamli family celebrated with sweets and proper lanterns.

Ramadan has arrived in Gaza under a fragile ceasefire deal.

Today they are displaced from their home in Rafah and living in a tent in Muwasi in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

Their mother Kamelia Al Zamli explained that there was no money so the children were forced to make their own lanterns. 

"On the first day of Ramadan, we used to go to the market and buy at least a few simple things for the house, but now, because of our dire situation, we can't afford anything."

Even vegetables are out of the question, so the family depends on food handouts from a charity kitchen for their iftar - fast breaking - meal.

On Wednesday Kamelia joined hundreds of people jostling to get food at the charity kitchen.

They included children, women and elderly people.

Kamelia's husband Waleed al Zamli longingly recalled the joys and traditions of the first day of Ramadan before the Israel-Hamas war had drastically altered his life: 

Lanterns for the children. Sweets. Special dishes.

"This is the third year we've welcomed Ramadan with sadness and heartache because we can't provide for our children's basic needs. We can't afford suhoor or iftar," he said.

It saddens and pains him that he's unable to provide for his family, which now ekes out an existence in displacement. 

Al Zamli lost his job after the shop where he had worked was destroyed, he said.

It's not just the material side of Ramadan.  Many of the mosques have been destroyed during the Israeli bombings.

"Now there are no mosques; there are only prayer rooms," said Al Zamili.

"And God knows if, while you're going to the mosque, there will be an attack (bombing) nearby, because the war hasn't practically ended. Planes are in the air and tanks are shelling. We don't know if the truce will hold or not. We don't know."

During Ramadan, observant Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. 

It's a time for increased worship, religious reflection and charity. 

In normal circumstances, the month often brings families and friends together to break their fast in joyous gatherings.

But circumstances in Gaza are far from normal. 

Israel's military offensive has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and caused widespread destruction and displaced most of the territory's residents. 

Israel launched the offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in their attack on Oct. 7, 2023.