Gaza Families Missing Many Loved Ones at Iftar Table
(AWP) - The iftar (fast-breaking) meal on the first day of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan was different this year for most people in Gaza, living in shabby tents with few friends and relatives around them, having lost many in Israel’s war on the Strip, now in its sixth month.
On the first day of the fasting month, the Health Ministry in Gaza announced that Palestinian fatalities from the Israeli war, which started on 7 October, had risen to 31,112, while the number of wounded had increased to 72,760.
International organizations said that the majority of the inhabitants in the enclave, estimated at 2.3 million Palestinians, have lived as displaced people amid harsh conditions since the war erupted.
Inside a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, members of the Abu Diyya family, who were displaced from Beit Lahia, in the north, sat together for the iftar meal. The mother prepared some food, using paper and plastic waste as fuel, since cooking gas is not available under the tight Israeli blockade.
“Things are not okay, as many relatives and loved ones are absent. We have been dispersed here and there. I received Ramadan with the death of my nephew, cousin and brother-in-law, while I have a brother missing in Israel, and we do not know a thing about his fate. These are not good days for us, especially during Ramadan,” said Umm Samer.
Her daughter, Wala,’ said that each year her family used to receive family members in their garden, which they decorated in a “dazzling” way.
“This year, we could not do any of this. Our hearts are broken, and joy is absent. We have lost my paternal uncle and maternal nephew while my maternal uncle is a captive,” she added.
“This year, we could not do any of this; our hearts are broken, and joy is absent. We have lost my paternal uncle and maternal nephew, while my maternal uncle is a captive. What makes our hearts sad is that we have lost many friends, relatives and neighbors. My maternal uncle used to work in Israel, but he is still missing, and we do not know anything about him. That is why we do not care much about food, iftar or decorations. All of the people are sad,” noted Wala.’