INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
determined to observe the holy month.After almost 16 months of relentless bombardment, much of Gaza lies in ruins
Families that once gathered around dinner tables now break their fast on the cold ground, surrounded by the wreckage of their homes.In the
shattered Jabaliya refugee camp, simple meals of lentils and bread are cooked over makeshift fires.Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to
rubble, hospitals are barely functioning with dwindling supplies, and essential infrastructure has collapsed.The United Nations reports that
almost the entire population of Gaza has been forcibly displaced
Many now live in overcrowded shelters, tents, or temporary homes built from salvaged debris.Yet, amid these hardships, the spirit of Ramadan
Families gather for iftar (breaking the fast), children find moments to play among the ruins, and the faithful continue to pray, even in
mosques that have been destroyed.In Gaza City, men lay prayer rugs on cracked pavement, reciting verses from the Quran as dust and smoke
Heavy rains have turned tent cities into muddy swamps, with drainage systems too damaged to handle the water.In some areas, people wade
through waist-deep floods, trying to salvage what little they have left.Sixty-seven-year-old Mahmoud Abu Sitta, who lost his home in the
spirit of Ramadan remains strong
Those who have little still share with their neighbors
Volunteers distribute food and supplies despite struggling themselves.In a small bakery that remarkably survived the airstrikes, young men
spaces, inside tents, on street corners, or in the shadows of collapsed buildings.Each prayer is a plea for relief, justice, and an end to
the suffering that has defined life in Gaza for too long.Humanitarian aid remains slow to arrive, border crossings are tightly controlled by
the Israeli occupation regime, and political negotiations offer little certainty.A fragile ceasefire has brought temporary calm, but on
truce.Hamas has urged mediators to ensure the occupation regime abides by the ceasefire agreement, which includes negotiations for a second
They fast, they pray, and they hope
They rebuild their lives, even when the world seems to have abandoned them.As the call to prayer echoes over the devastated land, it carries
the unwavering resilience of a people who refuse to be broken, even as everything around them has crumbled.
