The Age/ Samy Magdy/13.3.2024
How can the politicians across the world, led by Netanyahu, Biden, Sunak, continue to believe this is acceptable – using religious events to continue to refuse access to food and water for the innocents – Mark
RAFAH: Palestinians have begun fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with ceasefire talks at a standstill, hunger worsening across the Gaza Strip and no end in sight to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Prayers were held outside amid the rubble of demolished buildings yesterday. Fairy lights and decorations were hung in tent camps, and a video from a UN-school-turnedshelter showed children dancing and spraying foam in celebration as a man sang into a loudspeaker.
But there was little to celebrate after five months of war.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the bodies of 67 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals over the previous 24 hours, bringing the Palestinian death toll to more than 31,112.
Families would ordinarily break the daily sunrise-to-sundown fast with holiday feasts, but even where food is available, there is little beyond canned goods, and the prices are too high for many.
‘‘You don’t see anyone with joy in their eyes,’’ said Sabah al-Hendi, who was shopping for food in the southernmost city of Rafah. ‘‘Every family is sad. Every family has a martyr.’’
The US, Qatar and Egypt had hoped to broker a ceasefire ahead of the normally joyous holiday, but the talks have stalled.
Hamas is demanding guarantees that any such agreement will lead to an end to the war.
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