Palestinians in Gaza are celebrating one of the holiest occasions in Islam just days after they suffered through their bloodiest day in years amid more than six weeks of ongoing protests against Israel and the U.S.
The coastal Palestinian enclave of Gaza is almost entirely Muslim and believers officially began observing the holiday on Thursday, when the young crescent moon finally appeared after initially being forecast for Tuesday or Wednesday. The roughly month-long holiday requires Muslims to fast during the day and arrives just as protests surrounding two controversial events amassed a total of some 62 dead and thousands more injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Nearly twice that many have died since the protests began in late March.
The bloodshed is only the latest blow to Gaza, which is flanked by two heavily-guarded and seldom-opened borders between Israel and Egypt. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has described the secluded territory as a “constant humanitarian emergency.
“The markets are empty, as if Ramadan has not yet come. As every year, there is no joy and there is no hope,” Mghamis told Newsweek. “Many families today are below the poverty line and cannot find a loaf of bread to break their fast for Ramadan. The situation today is more difficult than can be described simply by words.”
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