Palestinians begin Ramadan with hunger worsening

RAFAH, Mar 11 (AP/AFP): Palestinians began fasting for Ramadan on Monday as the Muslim holy month arrived with cease-fire talks at a standstill, hunger worsening across the Gaza Strip and no end in sight to the five-month-old war between Israel and Hamas.
Prayers were held outside amid the rubble of demolished buildings late Sunday. Some people hung fairy lights and decorations in packed tent camps, and a video from a U.N.-school-turned-shelter showed children dancing and spraying foam as a man sang into a loudspeaker.
But there was little to celebrate after five months of war that has killed over 30,000 Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins. Families would ordinarily break the daily fast with holiday feasts, but even where food is available, there is little beyond canned goods and the prices are too high for many.
"You don't see anyone with joy in their eyes," said Sabah al-Hendi, who was shopping for food on Sunday in the southernmost city of Rafah. "Every family is sad. Every family has a martyr."
The United States, Qatar and Egypt had hoped to broker a cease-fire ahead of the normally joyous month of dawn-to-dusk fasting that would include the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of a large amount of humanitarian aid, but the talks stalled last week.
Hamas is demanding guarantees that any such agreement will lead to an end to the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until "total victory" against the militant group and the release of all the remaining hostages.
Gaza war death
toll hits 31,112
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday that at least 31,112 people have been killed in the territory during more than five months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The latest toll includes 67 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 72,760 people have been wounded in Gaza since the war began on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israel.
Saudi king calls for end to
'heinous crimes' in Gaza
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has called in his Ramadan message for the international community to bring an end to the "heinous crimes" taking place in Gaza, where Israel's war with Hamas has been raging for more than five months.
Speaking as custodian of Islam's two holiest sites, King Salman gave thanks on Sunday for the "blessings bestowed upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", but noted the war in besieged Gaza would cast a shadow over the holy month of fasting and prayer.
"As we witness the arrival of Ramadan this year, our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the ongoing suffering of our Palestinian brothers facing relentless aggression," he said.
"We call upon the international community to uphold its responsibilities to put an end to these heinous crimes and ensure the establishment of safe humanitarian and relief corridors."
Gaza is in the midst of a spiralling humanitarian crisis after months of war sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel.