Browsing: Region
Two displaced Palestinian boys, one carrying a pray mat on his shoulder, leave following the first Friday noon prayers of the holy month of Ramadan, outside…
Palestinians displaced during the two-year Israeli offensive shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday. *Lancet study says women, children, elderly made up 56% of dead*UN accepts health ministry figures; Israel disputes them*Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research did the study*Non-violent deaths in Gaza estimated at 16,300 during conflict More than 75,000 Palestinians were killed in the first 15 months of Israel’s military assault in Gaza, a figure far higher than the 49,000 deaths local health officials announced at the time, says a new study by The Lancet Global Health medical journal.The peer-reviewed study, published on Wednesday, found that women, children and the elderly comprised some 56.2% of violent deaths in Gaza during that period, a composition that it said roughly aligned with reporting by Gaza’s health ministry.The field work was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, run by Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki, who has carried out public opinion polling in the West Bank and Gaza for decades. The lead author is Michael Spagat, a professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. Displaced Palestinians walk along…
US President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran after ordering a major naval buildup in the Middle East aimed at heaping pressure on Tehran to cut a deal to curb its nuclear programme.The latest threat came after Iran’s foreign minister said a draft proposal for an agreement with Washington would be ready in a matter of days following negotiations between the two sides in Geneva earlier this week.Trump had suggested on Thursday that “bad things” would happen if Tehran did not strike a deal within 10 days, which he subsequently extended to 15.Asked by a reporter yesterday whether he was contemplating a limited military strike, Trump answered: “The most I can say — I am considering it.”After the talks in Geneva, Tehran said the two sides had agreed to submit drafts of a potential agreement, which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US media would be the “next step”. FILE PHOTO: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the day he addresses a special session of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations, aside…
Prolonged conflict has profoundly altered Ramadan food traditions and dining rituals that were once deeply rooted in Gaza’s social fabric. Amid the rubble of destroyed homes and between worn-out tents, residents of the Gaza Strip are welcoming the holy month of Ramadan for the third consecutive time since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023. This year, however, they hold onto hope that goodness and peace will prevail during the blessed month following a ceasefire agreement reached last October, despite little change on the ground as humanitarian suffering continues due to the Israeli blockade and restrictions on the entry of sufficient aid.Like Muslims everywhere, the people of Gaza observe Ramadan through prayer and devotion, including performing prayers and reciting the Holy Qur’an. At the same time, Palestinian women and homemakers strive to diversify the Ramadan table with renowned Palestinian dishes, drinks, and sweets that reflect the authenticity and deep-rooted heritage of Palestinian cuisine, alongside newly introduced foods that add variety and break the routine of everyday meals.Culinary traditionsGazans have long held on to culinary traditions and dishes that are inseparable from the holy month. However, the impact of the war, food shortages, and soaring prices — particularly for essential ingredients such as meat, poultry, and fish — has significantly altered Ramadan food customs in the Strip. Some traditional dishes have disappeared altogether due to the unavailability of ingredients or prices that have doubled compared to pre-war levels.Standing at the entrance of her tent in Gaza City, where she now lives with her family after their home was destroyed during the war, 50-year-old Um Bilal Muheisen said that many Palestinian families have inherited cultural traditions, including the preference to begin Ramadan with molokhia served with white rice and stuffed chicken on the first day of fasting. “This tradition has largely faded due to displacement, rising costs, poverty, and the limited means people now have,” she told Qatar News Agency (QNA).She added that the Gaza table was once rich with hearty Palestinian dishes, most notably “maqluba”, Gaza-style fatta made with saj bread (flatbread) soaked in broth and served with white rice and chicken or beef, and various stuffed vegetables. Time-honoured dishes such as maftoul, okra, cauliflower, green beans, stuffed zucchini, and the traditional sumagiyya were also staples of the Ramadan spread.Muheisen also highlighted other dishes that traditionally featured during Ramadan, including musakhan –roasted chicken served on taboon bread with generous amounts of olive oil, onions, and local sumac — which is considered a Ramadan essential. Another celebrated dish is qidra, regarded as one of Gaza’s most distinguished heritage meals. Cooked over fire or in clay pots, it consists of yellow spiced rice prepared with a special blend of Palestinian spices, onions, chickpeas, beef or lamb, and generous amounts of clarified butter.However, she noted that all these culinary traditions have become subject to the harsh economic realities and food shortages caused by the war, which has upended not only homes and neighborhoods but also long-standing dietary customs.Families now rely on limited food and drink options, as poverty and scarce resources prevent them from purchasing the variety and quantities traditionally associated with the holy month. For his part, Chef Moataz Abdo, owner of a well-known restaurant in Gaza City specializing in Eastern and Western cuisine, said the war has profoundly altered Ramadan food traditions and dining rituals that were once deeply rooted in Gaza’s social fabric.He explained that before the war, one of the most prominent Ramadan features at his restaurant was large communal banquets and family gatherings characterized by open buffets and diverse dishes. “All of that was affected last Ramadan,” he told QNA, noting that the difficult living conditions and loss of income among Palestinian families led to a sharp decline in demand for restaurant meals, with many relying instead on what they had at home or on aid distributed to displaced persons.Abdo added that both homes and restaurants in Gaza used to present a wide array of Eastern and Western dishes during Ramadan, particularly rice meals with grilled chicken, various mixed grills, salads, and appetizers such as stuffed kibbeh, grape leaves, tabbouleh, hummus, and an assortment of juices. Traditional beverages commonly served at the Gaza table included carob, hibiscus, tamarind, and qamar al-din, alongside fresh juices made from seasonal fruits.Iftar gatheringsHe further noted that the Ramadan table in Gaza traditionally featured a variety of sweets, most prominently qatayef, Nabulsi kunafeh with cheese, and Arabic kunafeh -one variety of which is produced exclusively in Gaza- along with kolaj, halawet al-jibn, basbousa, and nammoura stuffed with nuts and clarified butter.”Not all families can afford such foods, which are considered relatively expensive,” he said, adding that demand has grown for affordable popular foods such as hummus, foul, falafel, hummus fatta, pastries, and manaqeesh, which remain within reach for many amid the deteriorating economic conditions caused by the war.In the same context, psychologist and social specialist Noha Odeh said Ramadan food traditions in Gaza have been profoundly affected by the war and the resulting poverty, unemployment, and resource scarcity among Palestinian families.”Ramadan in Gaza has traditionally been marked by spiritual, familial, and culinary atmospheres,” she told QNA. “Streets and markets would be filled with countless varieties of food that made their way to family tables, becoming traditional and sometimes newly introduced dishes in line with the evolving Palestinian kitchen. But over the past two years, as we have spent Ramadan amid killing, displacement, hunger, and fear, these manifestations -especially food traditions- have largely disappeared.”Odeh explained that the forced changes imposed by war have affected all aspects of life in Gaza, including Ramadan customs. Communal iftar gatherings, once a hallmark of social solidarity, have nearly vanished, as families can no longer host large meals in their homes-many of which have been destroyed. For many breadwinners, the daily challenge has become securing a single iftar or suhoor meal for their families, while tens of thousands of displaced persons break their fast in shelters or amid the ruins of their homes.She added that iftar, once a social occasion, has become a daily ordeal for thousands of families facing food shortages and relying heavily on limited charitable assistance that often fails to meet the nutritional needs of those fasting.Concluding, Odeh said Ramadan in Gaza is no longer as it once was. Many families who were previously well-off now live in displacement and sorrow. Joy has turned into hardship, and long-standing Ramadan traditions have shifted under the weight of war. Yet despite the immense challenges, Palestinians in Gaza continue to hold fast to their faith and patience, striving to preserve their Ramadan traditions as much as circumstances allow. Source link
(FILES) A Congolese police officer holds a baby during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic…
A minibus carrying fish-farm workers collided with a heavy truck in Egypt, killing 18 people, local media reported.The minibus was transporting its passengers from Dakahlia governorate, near the northeastern city of Port Said, to their workplace when it collided on Thursday with the truck along the June 30 Axis, a main northern corridor.Dakahlia governor Tarek Marzouk yesterday mourned the “martyrs”, according to a statement from his office published on Facebook.Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly offered his condolences to the families of the victims and ordered they be financially compensated.According to the newspaper Al-Shorouk, the collision was caused by “excessive speed, compounded by reduced visibility due to bad weather conditions”.The authorities have not yet released an official death toll.Traffic collisions are frequent in Egypt, where roads are often in disrepair. In 2024, more than 5,200 road deaths were recorded across the country, according to government statisticians.Traffic laws are also widely flouted, with the interior ministry yesterday pointing to 111,583 traffic violations in 24 hours. Source link
An estimated 80,000 Palestinians performed the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Al Aqsa Mosque despite strict Israeli restrictions. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that Israeli forces prevented thousands from reaching the mosque, turning back worshippers at Qalandia and (300) checkpoints. Security measures around the mosque and the city were intensified, and over 300Jerusalemites were recently barred from entering Al Aqsa during Ramadan.Many entered Jerusalem’s Old City through Damascus Gate to reach the mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, with hundreds of people heading in the same direction under the watchful eye of Israeli police. Thousands stood shoulder to shoulder in the mosque’s compound as the prayer resonated on speakers. While most worshippers live in east Jerusalem, some crossed Israeli checkpoints to reach the mosque from the occupied West Bank, including at Qalandia, the main passage point between Jerusalem and Ramallah. An AFP journalist witnessed a large crowd waiting to be allowed in by Israeli soldiers, while troops in riot gear stood by.The Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-run body that administers the site, reported that 80,000 worshippers came to the compound for the prayer. Israel deployed thousands of extra police officers in Jerusalem to watch over the holy city for the length of Ramadan, and issued the same travel restrictions as last year for Palestinian residents of the West Bank — which Israel has occupied since 1967.Israel announced it was issuing just 10,000 permits for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank wishing to attend weekly Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, only available to women over 50, men over 55, and children under 12. Um Awad, a West Bank Palestinian woman who applied for a permit that was denied, was not allowed to cross the checkpoint into Jerusalem. “They are only allowing a small number to obtain permits. We tried and applied, some obtained permits, while others were denied. It is wrong for them to prevent us from praying,” she told AFP.”Even if they prevent us from going today, I will come next Friday and the Friday after that, God willing, because no one except God can prevent us from going to Al-Aqsa,” said Jihad Bisharat, a Palestinian man who was denied entry to Jerusalem at Qalandia checkpoint. Jerusalem police’s spokesman said in a statement that “the prayer concluded without incident.” Source link
This picture taken in November last year shows orphaned Sudanese refugee children from El-Fashir sharing a meal of pasta and meat provided by the ‘Group Kitchen…
Israeli forces imposed tight restrictions on Palestinians from the West Bank seeking to pray at Al Aqsa Mosque for the first Friday of Ramadan.At Qalandia checkpoint, thousands were screened, with entry denied to men under 55 and women under 50, even if they had special permits. WAFA reported that dozens of elderly people were also turned back at Qalandia and Bethlehem checkpoints, four paramedics were detained, and media and medical teams were obstructed. The Jerusalem Governorate said authorities also blocked additional worshippers citing capacity limits, describing the measures as an attempt to undermine the Islamic Waqf’s authority and alter the status quo at Al Aqsa. Source link
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkiye is ready to send troops to Gaza as part of the Internationalآ Stabilization Forceآ (ISF).Speaking after attending the Peace Council meeting on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fidan highlighted discussions on Gaza’s reconstruction, security, and reactivation of local administration, describing progress as a key step forward.He affirmed Turkiye’s commitment to providing support through humanitarian aid, governance, or participation in the stability force, pledging contributions without delay.Fidan also stressed that the Gaza contact group works intensively to coordinate members’ efforts and warned of the risks of renewed violence, hunger, and suffering for Palestinians if attention lapses Source link