'Ramadan began in Gaza with airstrikes over the southern city of Rafah'
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 With no truce in sight, Ramadan began in Gaza with airstrikes over the southern city of
00:07 Rafah. And the now all too familiar search for survivors after another building was reduced
00:13 to rubble.
00:14 "Just one hour before the dawn prayer on the first day of Ramadan in the home of civilians,
00:20 normal people minding their own business, sleeping in their own homes, became martyrs."
00:28 Amid widespread hunger and with 80% of the population displaced, there was little excitement
00:35 to be found ahead of the normally joyous month of dawn to dusk fasting.
00:40 "I'm shopping for Ramadan. The atmosphere is sad. It makes you want to cry. There are
00:47 no signs of joy. Everyone looks sad. Prices are soaring. Every family has lost someone
00:53 and many have lost their homes too. Our hearts are bleeding. There is no Ramadan atmosphere."
01:00 Despite a diplomatic push from the US, Qatar and Egypt, talks in Cairo did not secure a
01:07 ceasefire in time for the start of the Islamic holy month, which would have included the
01:12 release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and the entry of a large amount
01:17 of humanitarian aid.
01:19 Israel has previously warned of a military offensive in Tarafa if the hostages being
01:24 held by Hamas weren't home by Ramadan.