March 2024
This year, Ramadan begins March 11 for the majority of Muslims. In the United States, observations of the holiday will begin on the evening of March 10.
Ahead of the holiday, Palestinians around the world gathered to protest attacks in Gaza and lack of resources in the area.
On March 9, activists decried isolation and starvation in Rafah, demanding the end of Israeli occupation in Palestine.
In Dallas, protestors demanded accountability for U.S. supply of weapons to Israel.
Additionally, Israel’s blocking of food trucks into Gaza drew criticism of the Israeli and United States governments.
While the Biden administration recently organized air drops of food into Gaza, journalists and citizens in the Gaza strip call the aid insufficient to support the population.
Images across social media depict children and adults in white body bags, many of whom survived the bombings to then die of malnutrition or starvation.
During his State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden announced construction of a temporary sea port, through which food would be delivered to Gaza from foreign governments. The alternate aide route is planned in conjunction with the European Union. It would take two months to build the port and to make it operational.
The maritime plan was met with mixed reactions.
While World leaders proposed this as a solution to Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid trucks, Palestinian critics remain skeptical of the port’s true purpose.
Ahead of Ramadan, world leaders focus on concerns of violence at Al- Aqsa mosque.
According to Axios, Hamas military leader Abu Ubaida called for the escalation of violence during Ramadan. An attack on the mosque would cause more death and bloodshed, likely escalating the intensity of Israeli military tactics.
Of course, this complicates calls for a temporary, month-long ceasefire during Ramadan.
The Biden administration continues, alongside Israeli allies, to negotiate the safe return of all hostages and to negotiate a stable solution.
However, a potential attack by Israel’s own forces also threatens peace talks within the Gaza strip. Israeli military leadership maintains a punitive attitude, as seen with continued bombings and blocking of food trucks.
A long, entangled history of Israel-Palestine tensions complicates de-escalation, even as major world leaders work to end this phase of the conflict.
Ramadan, a month of peace and worship for the Muslim community, could buy time to broker a compromise – if diplomats and military leaders on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict place a valuation of human life ahead of political agendas.
