As we approach the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the brutal war against Gaza has entered its sixth month. The assault on Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, including 13,000 children. Aid delivery to northern Gaza is restricted, causing many people to starve.
Worse still is the Israeli threat to launch a ground operation in Rafah during Ramadan, crowded with more than 1.5 million people, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of Gaza. What was previously a “safe zone” declared by the Israeli military is now a densely populated refugee camp. Rafah has an area of approximately 63 square kilometers (24 square miles). The average population density is now over 22,200 people per square kilometer (57,276 per square mile). That’s twice the density of New York City.
Attacking Rafah would be a bloodbath. The whole world – even the United States – has warned against this operation, but, based on the rhetoric of Israeli government officials, it seems unlikely that the attack on Rafah will not be carried out.
The start of Ramadan, which would usually be a time of celebration, love and dedication to Allah (SWT), has now become a date to fear for Palestinians in Gaza. For more than five months, they have been deprived of food, water, medicine and housing. Now they will also be deprived of a peaceful celebration of their holy month.
If, true to the threat, the invasion begins during Ramadan, it will be the end of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the beginning of its humanitarian disaster.
For us, from the outside, watching this catastrophe unfold was extremely painful. Many have felt helpless in the face of Palestinian suffering, but we can and must do something about it.
Giving to charity is a key pillar of Islam all year round, but during Ramadan we Muslims give even more. This emulates the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who was particularly generous during the holy month and we believe that the blessings for those who donate are multiplied significantly.
This year, this Ramadan, it is essential that every person – Muslim or non-Muslim – gives everything they can to help the people of Gaza. Families across the Gaza Strip, particularly in the north, are experiencing starvation. The UN’s hunger monitoring agency, the Integrated Food Security Classification, confirmed: “This is the highest proportion of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity than the IPC initiative has ever ranked for a given region or country. »
Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan. However, the conflict means that when the time comes to break the fast, many Palestinians in Gaza will have nothing to eat or drink. Since October, parents have systematically chosen to go without food and water so that their children can eat.
Even if the assault on Rafah does not occur – and let us pray that it does not – Ramadan will be a time of great need for the people of Gaza. The number of deaths increases by the hundreds every day, the health system is collapsing due to the incessant bombings. The number of orphaned children has exceeded 17,000. Access to clean water is becoming a luxury, creating an environment conducive to water-borne diseases.
And amid all this suffering, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the largest humanitarian agency operating in Gaza, has been vilified and, as a result, deprived of funding from its biggest donors, despite there being not a shred of evidence to support the accusations made against it.
It is imperative that people of all faiths, and none, give to humanitarian organizations working in Gaza today, tomorrow and throughout Ramadan. Your generosity is needed to feed those who are fasting and those who are starving. Your charity is needed to give pure water to those who need it to live and purify themselves before prayer. Your acts of generosity will bring hope to those who have had everything taken away from them.
Despite the many challenges, some organizations are doing everything they can to help the people of Gaza. They are actively working to overcome restrictions on the delivery of aid, putting pressure on the international community to do everything in its power to get life-saving aid to the people who need it.
Donating to humanitarian organizations will not solve the cause of Palestinian pain and misery, but it can help stem the tide. It is an act of solidarity.
This Ramadan, many are facing difficult economic circumstances and are concerned about the cost of living crisis. But we are living in unprecedented times; the people of Gaza need our help. In the midst of the greatest suffering inflicted on a population in most of our lives, we must all give like Muslims.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.