Israel-hamas war rages in besieged Gaza as Ramadan begins
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES (AFP) — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins Monday in Gaza with no truce in sight, as fighting rages between Israeli forces and Hamas militants and a dire humanitarian crisis grips the besieged Palestinian territory.
A Spanish charity ship with food aid prepared to sail from Cyprus to the coastal Gaza Strip, where the UN has repeatedly warned of famine.
Aid groups say only a fraction of the supplies required to meet basic humanitarian needs have been allowed into Gaza since October, when Israel placed it under near-total siege.
About 370 kilometers (230 miles) from Cyprus across the Mediterranean Sea, Mohammed Harara stood on the shores of Gaza, hoping for the aid to arrive.
"I've been waiting since this morning, because tomorrow is the start of the holy month of Ramadan and the situation is very tragic," he said.
The non-governmental group Open Arms said its boat would pull a barge with 200 tons of food, which its partner the US charity World Central Kitchen would then unload on Gaza's shores.
It was expected to depart "within the coming hours," Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told Cyprus News Agency.
Jordanian, US, French, Belgian and Egyptian planes parachuted aid into northern Gaza on Sunday, but the United Nations' aid coordinator for the area has said boosting supply by land is the best way to get assistance to the territory's 2.4 million people.
Muslim nations announce start of Ramadan
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on Monday, Middle Eastern nations have announced, with the king of Saudi Arabia using the occasion to call for an end to the "heinous crimes" taking place in war-torn Gaza.
Saudi Arabia said through its official SPA news agency on Sunday that the Supreme Court had announced "Monday, March 11, 2024, the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan for this year."
Speaking as custodian of Islam's two holiest sites, King Salman gave thanks in his Ramadan message on Sunday evening for the "blessings bestowed upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," but noted the war in Gaza would cast a shadow over the month of fasting and prayer.
"As we witness the arrival of Ramadan this year, our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the ongoing suffering of our Palestinian brothers facing relentless aggression," he said.
"We call upon the international community to uphold its responsibilities to put an end to these heinous crimes and ensure the establishment of safe humanitarian and relief corridors."
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
After the sighting of the crescent moon, the United Arab Emirates and
Qatar also announced a Monday start for Ramadan through their own official news outlets.
Egypt's Islamic advisory body the Dar al-ifta likewise confirmed Ramadan was beginning on Monday, as it was in the Palestinian Territories including Gaza, and in Algeria and Tunisia.
Their neighbors Morocco and Libya said Ramadan would start on Tuesday.
Iran had earlier set the beginning of Ramadan for Tuesday after its "Estehlal" moon observation office said it had not been possible to observe "the crescent of Ramadan".
In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories reported that the moon was obscured by "cloudy weather and dust particles."