Gaza (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The tents of the displaced in the Gaza Strip were decorated with illuminated Ramadan lanterns and colorful decorative ropes stretched between thousands of tents and the ruins of homes as they welcomed the month of Ramadan on Wednesday after two years of Israeli war.

Published on: 02/18/2026 - 14:13

Since the announcement on Tuesday night of the start of the month of fasting, dozens of Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip gathered in Saraya Square, west of Gaza City, and took pictures next to a huge, illuminated lantern, and toured among the stores that kept their doors open until after midnight to receive customers.

Some decorations were displayed in the streets, including red lanterns hung next to a yellow crescent, according to journalists at Agence France-Presse.

Dozens of worshipers gathered at the Al-Omari Mosque in the city to perform Tarawih prayers, on the first night of Ramadan since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, after two years of war that caused massive destruction to the Strip and imposed a catastrophic humanitarian crisis on its residents.

Among them is Muawiya Kashko, who said, “The month of Ramadan is different this year... Last year we did not dare to leave the house to pray in the mosque during the war.”

He continued to Agence France-Presse, "My feelings are indescribable. Thank God we survived. We felt like we were going to die every moment."

As for Abu Adam, a displaced person from northern Gaza City, he confirmed that he insisted on coming to perform prayers in the mosque “despite the fear of our proximity to the yellow line,” referring to the Israeli withdrawal line inside the Strip under the first phase of the ceasefire.

The Al-Omari Mosque, located in the old town of the city, is the largest and oldest mosque in Gaza, and was partially destroyed by Israeli bombing, like most mosques in the Strip.

"suffocated joy"

Hundreds of thousands of citizens are still displaced in crowded and worn-out tents in various areas of the stricken sector.

Nor have the Israeli strikes on several parts of the Gaza Strip stopped completely, which the Hebrew state says are a response to violations of the truce that it accuses Hamas of committing.

A security source in the Gaza Strip said that Israeli artillery fired shells at dawn on Wednesday at the east of Gaza City and the east of the Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Strip.

Nevin Ahmed (50 years old), who was displaced from Gaza City to a tent in the Al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip, says that “joy is stifled” this Ramadan.

The woman, a mother of five children, explains, “We miss people who were martyred, are still missing, were detained, or even traveled,” adding, “In the past, the Ramadan table was filled with the most delicious dishes and brought together all loved ones.”

She continues, "This is the first Ramadan without war in three years. Feelings are different and mixed. Today I can barely make a main dish or a side dish. Everything is expensive, and I cannot invite anyone for breakfast or suhoor. Prices are high and the tent is barely enough for us."

Her concern is shared by Mohammed Al-Madhoun (43 years old), who lives above the ruins of his house in western Gaza City, and hopes that “this will be the last month of Ramadan that we will spend in tents.”

He added, "I feel helpless in front of my children as they ask me to buy lanterns and dream of a breakfast table that includes all the types of food they prefer... The financial situation is zero."

"Stays special"

The war caused an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, to the point of declaring famine in some of its areas, according to the United Nations, which also estimates that more than three-quarters of the buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, and that most of the population, which exceeds two million people, were displaced at least once during the war.

The war broke out following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, most of them civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.

The Israeli military campaign led to the killing of 72,061 people, the majority of whom were civilians, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Despite the continuing violations of the truce, some residents of the Gaza Strip see a different flavor for Ramadan 2026.

Maha Fathi (37 years old), a mother of four children who were all displaced from northern Gaza to a tent in the west of the city, says, "Despite all the destruction and suffering... the month of Ramadan remains different and special. I feel that people have begun to feel each other's suffering again after everyone was busy with themselves in the war."

The woman recounts that she and her family shared the suhoor meal with their neighbors in a shelter center. She added, "Everyone longs for the atmosphere of the month of Ramadan. Seeing the decorations and movement in the markets makes us feel hopeful for the return of life."

On the eve of the start of the month of fasting, Palestinian artist Ziad Abu Jarad drew the phrase “Welcome Ramadan” in decorative script on the sand of the beach in Deir al-Balah (centre), under the eyes of the children of the adjacent camp, which was crowded with displaced people.

He explains that he wanted to "say to the whole world that we are still fine, and, God willing, this Ramadan will be without war or bombing" for the first time in three years.

© 2026 AFP

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