‘Faces are missing, homes no longer stand’: Palestinians on the struggles of observing Ramadan in the ruins of Gaza

Before the war, Ramadan in Gaza had a softness to it,” 23-year-old Ibrahim Yaghi tells The Independent from the heart of Gaza City.

“I remember the warm glow of lanterns hanging in a narrow street, the smell of freshly baked bread before maghrib [evening prayer], the sound of children laughing after tarawih [night prayer],” he recalls. “Families gathered in large numbers, doors were open, visits were constant. The night felt alive.”

After two years of relentless bombardment by Israel, more than 72,000 people have been killed and more than 11,000 remain missing.

Ninety per cent of homes have been destroyed, 18,000 Palestinians are waiting for medical evacuation, and the Strip is covered in tent cities largely without running water, fuel, or everyday amenities.

The vast majority of Gazans are still living in rudimentary shelters, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said this week, with 300,000 more housing units needed.

Following a three-day trip to Gaza and the West Bank, UNDP chief Alexander De Croo said the living conditions were the worst he had ever seen, and that it could take seven years just to remove the rubble.

It is in that bleak shadow that this year’s Ramadan takes place. The holy month is a time of introspection, abstinence and community for Muslims. In Gaza, it is the first since a fragile ceasefire began last October following the brutal two-year conflict with Israel.

“The atmosphere is different, gatherings are smaller, some faces are missing, some homes are no longer standing,” says Ibrahim. “Conversations revolve around safety and loss more than celebration. The streets are quieter, the joy is still there but it carries grief within it. Ramadan has changed… it feels heavier, more intimate.”

Many will have lost loved ones during the two-year conflict, and at a time when families come together, their presence will be particularly missed.

“For the people in Gaza, it’s a sad Ramadan because many still miss a lot of their loved ones. They are either killed, missing or detained,” says Red Cross worker Amani al-Naouq from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. “There will be empty chairs and tables without their loved ones joining them for iftar.”

While Muslims observing Ramadan fast during the day, they still have meals before dawn and after sunset. But ongoing problems with food supply and aid in Gaza mean many will struggle even with this.

The World Food Programme (WFP) told The Independent that “families are beginning the holy month with almost no ability to afford basic food, even when it is available on the shelves”.

More than 90,000 households will be assisted with payments to allow them to buy what they need and help local markets recover. WFP community kitchens serve 360,000 hot meals a day.

A WFP spokesperson said: “That’s why humanitarian aid is absolutely essential – and often the only way people can break their fast with dignity. For families observing Ramadan under these conditions, regular and predictable humanitarian access through all crossings is the only way they can make it through the month with dignity.”

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