The fighting spirit of the Palestinians remains undefeated, and shopkeepers are retrieving the few items unsold in the last Ramadan, putting them on display.
The al-Kahlout family has always celebrated the holy month of Ramadan by selling colorful decorations and a variety of lanterns.
This year, however, the family can barely find food to eat. Like millions of Palestinians in Gaza, hunger is being felt by everyone and famine is spreading.
But the fighting spirit of the Palestinians remains undefeated, and shopkeepers are retrieving the few items unsold in the last Ramadan, putting them on display.
Even during the years of the Israeli siege on Gaza, there was enough food that entered the market, which allowed shopkeepers to display a fair amount of Ramadan-related food and spices, especially dates, dried figs, and more.
This scene is largely absent now, as the Gaza market has not received any new supplies since October 7. Whatever little food that is allowed to enter is only confined to very limited humanitarian operations, mostly in the south.
Mohammed al-Kahlout and his two young sisters, however, are busy decorating their little shop in Rafah. Throughout the year, they sell children’s toys but in Ramadan, they dedicate their shop entirely to Ramadan-related items, though children remain their main target audience.
The fighting spirit of the Palestinians remains undefeated, and shopkeepers are retrieving the few items unsold in the last Ramadan, putting them on display. pic.twitter.com/4kbP05xpzJ
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 4, 2024
“We are in a situation where nothing is allowed to enter through the crossings. So we have a few items left from last year,” Mohammed told The Palestine Chronicle.
“For 150 days, no food has entered. The month of Ramadan is supposed to be a month of blessings and plenty but as you can see, nothing is coming in. We are doing this merely to help kids deal with their anxiety.”
But even if supplies are allowed to enter Gaza, “the kids are not in the right mood for this kind of things,” according to Al-Kahlout.
“The children are all thinking of death and Israeli shelling. They just want to survive,” he added.
Al-Kahlout shared his wish for Ramadan with The Palestine Chronicle. “I wish for our martyrs to be buried and for our detainees to be released. We want to live in peace.”
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
– Mahmoud Ajjour is a Gaza-based photojournalist. He is the Palestine Chronicle’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip.
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