Shafaqna English- Ramadhan has long been commemorated in Palestinian cities by traditions. But this year, in the occupied West Bank, it is different. In the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm, especially the sprawling refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied territory, the streets that once glowed and reverberated with the laughter of children are shrouded in grief.
The holy month has long been commemorated in Palestinian cities by traditions deeply rooted in fasting, community, and spiritual devotion. Families gathered in the evenings around tables laden with traditional dishes for iftar — fast-breaking meals. Neighbors shared food and other offerings, and crescent-shaped lights illuminated the night.
An Israeli military operation that began in January led 40,000 Palestinians to flee their homes, what historians have called the biggest displacement of civilians in the occupied West Bank since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.
Now, the bustle of Ramadhan markets has been reduced to a trickle of somber shoppers. A heavy silence has replaced lively chatter. No lanterns glow in windows.
Mr. Sukkar, 40, and his wife, Na’ila, 34, fled Jenin with their children and his mother on the third day of the Israeli operation. They left with only the clothes they were wearing — no heirlooms, no keepsakes, none of the decorations they used to commemorate Ramadhan.
Their displacement fragmented the family, with Mr. Sukkar and their 9-year-old son moving to a friend’s home, and his wife, her mother-in-law, and three younger children staying with relatives. But as Ramadhan approached, they sought to reunite.
Source: New York Times