Ramadan in Gaza reduced to daily struggle for survival

GAZA - Amidst the debris of destroyed houses in the Gaza Strip, Nidal Abu Baraka, a 55-year-old Palestinian man, chose to break his daily Ramadan fast on the very ruins of his house with his family.

"I will never give up breaking fast in my house even during the current circumstances," the 55-year-old father of eight told Xinhua while helping his wife cook a pot of rice on firewood in his ruined home in Deir al-Balah, a central Gazan city.

On March 11, war-ravaged Gaza entered the Islamic holy month amid a mood of disappointment felt among many Palestinians upon seeing that every international effort to reach an Israel-Hamas ceasefire before Ramadan has failed.

Israel has launched a large-scale war against Hamas in Gaza since Oct 7, after Hamas carried out a sudden offensive on Israeli border towns, approximately 1,200 people died and taking hostage 200 others.

Israel later escalated to land, air, and sea attacks on Gaza which is already suffering from the consequences of the Israeli blockade imposed on it in 2007.

So far, over 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war that has lasted for more than five months, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.

"Because of all these tragedies, we have lost everything related to Ramadan rituals. Most of our delicious dishes and sweets have no longer found a place on our tables," Abu Baraka complained.

Also, homes are no longer decorated with Ramadan lanterns and beautiful lights, "nor do we have time to exchange visits with our relatives and loved ones," he said.

"People are all busy finding the minimum amount of food to survive... but even this is not easy for all Palestinians in Gaza," he added.

The situation is not much different for the family of Abu Hussam Ramadan, another Palestinian who was displaced from Beit Lahia, northern Gaza to a shelter in the southern city of Rafah. His table is now limited to a few small plates of food, most of which are prepared from ready-made canned goods.

Cooking a can of beans on fire for a meal, the father of two said the family used to cook the most delicious dishes in Ramadan, but conditions have completely changed this year as the war had deprived locals of their houses, jobs, and even their beloved ones.

"Since Ramadan kicked off 12 days ago, I have not been able to buy chicken or any kind of meat (whether fresh or frozen) because of their unreasonable price," he said.

Samiha Al-Ayoubi, another displaced Palestinian woman in Rafah, said that because of the war, poverty, and surging goods prices, Ramadan has turned from a time of worship, charity and fasting, into a daily struggle for survival.

As the major caretaker for a 15-membered family, who all live in a tent, she spends most of her time moving between the clay ovens spread between the tents to reserve her turn to bake the dough or cook whatever canned food or vegetables she has available on firewood.

"Sometimes we rely on canned food only, and other times I cook lentils... but other times our Iftar meal is limited to sandwiches with canned cheese only," the 45-year-old mother of five told Xinhua.

Unfortunately, Al-Ayoubi says, "We now struggle for survival... and all delicious dishes, including soup and sweets, were absent from our table."

What makes matters worse for them are the ongoing Israeli threats to invade the city, which is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians.

"We are threatened at any moment to leave again, and we cannot predict what will happen to us in the coming days or even hours," she added.

The United Nations has warned against widespread famine in the Gaza Strip in the holy month of Ramadan, if Israel continues its severe restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, about 27 Palestinians died from malnutrition and dehydration, accusing Israel of deliberately starving the Palestinians.

The UN organisations called on Israel to allow aid to enter through land crossings and deliver it to all residents without exception. - XINHUA