Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Weary of conflict, Palestinians in Gaza dread prospect of another Ramadan marked by violence

Weary of conflict, Palestinians in Gaza dread prospect of another Ramadan marked by violence

Ramadan is a holy, spiritual month of peace, reflection and prayer in most Muslim countries and communities. For Palestinians in Gaza, however, it has come to be associated with escalations in violence and the outbreak of war, given their experiences in previous years.
Residents have endured the effects of repeated, intense military confrontations between Hamas and Israel during Ramadan for many years, along with shorter bursts of violence.

In recent months there have been growing concerns and warnings about the possibility of a large-scale military conflict between one or more of the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel during the holy month, in light of what is seen as continual provocations by Israeli authorities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

“With every month of Ramadan, every year, we are on a date with a military confrontation or escalation that will last for days, which leaves us during every month of Ramadan in a state of fear and anxiety,” resident Rasmiya Al-Mabhouh, 60, told Arab News

She lives with her four children in a three-story house that was severely damaged during a recent conflict. She fears another escalation of hostilities during Ramadan this year might force her family out of its home once again.

“Our house was damaged in 2021 and we left it and moved to a relative’s house during that period,” Al-Mabhouh said. “There is concern this year that we will return to an escalation during Ramadan, which may cause us to not be able to stay indoors again.”

Fears of the threat of renewed violence have grown as a result of the prevailing security conditions in the West Bank and fears that unrest there might spread to the Gaza Strip. The escalation in tensions since the start of last year has been focused mainly in the northern West Bank, where Israeli incursions into cities and the killing of Palestinians have provoked threats from Palestinian factions, in particular Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to launch rockets into Israel from Gaza.

Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, deputy head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, confirmed in an interview published on the organization’s official website that “the occupation’s attempt to use the month of Ramadan to impose its policy of temporal and spatial division and to allow settlers to perform Talmudic rituals will be met with a reaction.”

He added: “The occupation should not expect that its attempts will pass without a strong response from our people and our resistance, and we warn it against going too far in that, and stress that Hamas is closely monitoring the occupation’s steps in Jerusalem and our patience is running out.”

Two separate meetings have taken place in Aqaba, Jordan, and Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, during which representatives of Israel, Palestine, the US and the host nations held talks in an attempt to prevent an escalation of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank that could spread to the Gaza Strip.

Gaza resident Rami Al-Danaf, 51, is worried about the possibility of another military confrontation in the Strip, and said that instead of stocking up in advance with all of the supplies his family needs for Ramadan, as he usually does, he will just be buying what he needs from day to day.

“It was our custom in my family to buy all the needs of Ramadan in advance but this year I did not (do that and will buy) things on an almost daily basis, despite the exhaustion in that, because of the fear of the return of the escalation in the Gaza Strip again,” he told Arab News.

“The threats do not stop. There is talk in the media that war is coming during Ramadan in Gaza, so my wife and children are afraid of that.”

This dread of the prospect of another Ramadan conflict is shared by most Gazans, who are weary of violence.

“We do not wish for war or escalation,” 29-year-old Lina Ayada told Arab News. “We hope that the month of Ramadan and then Eid will pass this year without loss of life or destruction.

“We have seen enough in previous years of those wars, and we hope that the month of Ramadan will be good for all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and everywhere else.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×