Desperate days

Hanaa al-Masry's family thought they would be celebrating RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic year, during which Muslims are required to fast from dawn until dusk. at home. Instead, they find themselves living in a battered tent. "My neighbours and I used to adorn our street with lights and lanterns," says Hannah.¹ "But now everything around us is bleakMiserable and unwelcoming. . The streets bear the scars of IsraeliFrom Israel, a country in the Middle East. Just over 70% of its population is Jewish, while 20% is Arab. bombings, and the community is in mourning."

Ramadan lasts for a month. During it, Muslims devote themselves to fasting, prayer and charitable works. They have a small meal called suhoor before dawn and another called iftar after nightfall. They eat nothing in between. 

"I used to love preparing a meal of cheese, jam, beans and eggs to keep my family going through the fast and then something tasty for iftar," says Hanaa. But food supplies in GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by Israel and Egypt. are so limited that this now seems like an impossible luxurySomething that makes your life very comfortable or pleasant. .

Many families are living on boiled weeds and tins of food brought in from Egypt by charities. Milk, fruit and vegetables are very expensive and hard to come by. A pound of sugar costs £8 - nearly 10 times more than in a British supermarket.

According to the HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.-run health authority, at least 20 people have died of malnutritionPoor nutrition - caused by not having enough to eat or not having the right foods. .

Hussein al-Adwa, a charity worker, says that he has hardly tasted meat since HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.'s savage attack on Israel on 7 October started the current war. Instead, he has been surviving on tins of beans.

Lack of food and homelessness are not the only problems. Israel has cut off electricity supplies and bombing has destroyed most of the infrastructureThe basic systems and services that a country needs to keep it going..

Not enough fuel is being allowed into Gaza to run the generatorsMachines that can create electricity during power cuts. and pumps needed to keep basic services going. Donkey carts are now the main means of transport.

On top of that there is fear of the next attack. Israel is now threatening an assault on RafahA Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is close to the border with Egypt. It is now home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. , where it says Hamas's remaining forces are based.

Is there a glimmer of hope?

Yes: The US is planning to supply Gaza by sea, and Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under intense pressure from international leaders including President Biden to curtail the suffering.

No: Both Netanyahu and Hamas's leader Yahya Sinwar want to keep the conflict going. If there is a prolonged pause, they will both face critical enquiries into how it was allowed to happen.

Or... The Palestinian Authority, which runs the West BankA landlocked territory bordered by Israel, Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is the largest of the Palestinian territories. , offers hope. It is refusing to be drawn into Hamas's war, and is well placed to offer Gaza more responsible leadership when things calm down.