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Beirut -

While the specter of death, destruction and hunger looms over the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli aggression that has been ongoing for more than 5 months, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are welcoming the month of Ramadan in a gloomy mood, as celebrations of the holy month have been absent and have been limited to solidarity and religious activities in support of the people of Gaza.

Palestinian Saber Aslan stands in front of his cart selling Ramadan sweets in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, south of Sidon. He thinks with burning passion, not without regret, about how the people of Gaza will manage their circumstances during this month, and strives hard to search for ways to help them.

He told Al Jazeera Net: "This year in the month of Ramadan, we relied on lighting only without decorations and signs of joy that belong to all Muslims, especially the people of Gaza, who live - today - under the weight of suffering, wars, destruction and hunger, so we did not decorate in solidarity with them."

The disappearance of Ramadan decorations in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in solidarity with Gaza (Al Jazeera)

Ain al-Hilweh

Aslan adds: "We wish we could help them with anything. We are besieged in Ain al-Hilweh camp and we can do nothing but pray for them for steadfastness and victory, and that God may accept from them and their martyrs, heal their wounds and relieve their families."

Anxiety dominates the features of Hajja Maryam Lafi, who has tasted the bitterness of separation.

As her son, Fadi Hassan Issa, was martyred in an Israeli raid in 1991, she talks about entering the month of Ramadan with deep sadness, and says: “Our heart is burned for them, and Ramadan is very difficult for us. We eat the meal with bitterness and remember the people of Gaza. We have no help, and we pray to God to keep the Zionist enemy away from them.” .

In the vegetable market in Ain al-Hilweh camp, the movement of people seems slow on the first day of the holy month, as if they are wandering. How can they eat, drink, and meet the family, while the people of Gaza are deprived of everything?

Bassem Sariya, a vegetable shop owner, says: “Ramadan has come and we have not decorated or rejoiced. We cannot do that in any way and we consider that the joy among us is a shame and the concerns of our people in Gaza preoccupy us. Ramadan this year is different from previous years because of the Israeli aggression against Gaza.”

But in exchange for the absence of decorations, the presence of the official spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, brings pictures and banners.

He turned into an icon of struggle, victory, and the defeat of Israel, and into a spokesman for the nation, raising his index finger, threatening and menacing, along with slogans of support for Gaza, its people, and resistance.

Ibrahim Hussein, who lives in the camp and has relatives in Gaza, describes Ramadan bitterly and says: “This is the first time that this holy month has come, difficult and sad, because our people in Gaza are living it under bombardment, destruction, and genocide, and we ask God that Ramadan be a victory for them.”

Borj el-Barajneh

The situation is not much different in Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, where there are no signs of welcoming the month of Ramadan in the camp market, which used to witness intense crowding on such days, and for the first time the usual signs of celebration and preparations for welcoming it have disappeared.

Maryam Barazi, a mother of four children who usually filled her house with decorations and her refrigerator with supplies for breakfast, says: “Today we welcome Ramadan with great sadness for our people in Gaza, the West Bank, and all of Palestine. We did not prepare anything this year, as we do not have the heart to do that, or even to prepare food.” And they eat it as usual, while they cannot find a piece of bread or a sip of water. This can be considered solidarity, even in decoration, eating and drinking.”

Ahmed Sakhnini, a resident of the camp, asks: “How can we be happy and live when the Palestinian people are being subjected to genocide? The adornment, joy and joy of Ramadan have disappeared. Our people are living in very difficult and tragic circumstances, and this is what hurts hearts. Ramadan today is full of sadness.”

Sabra and Shatila

In the Sabra and Shatila camp, the most crowded camp in Beirut, the scenes of the previous camps are repeated, where joy and delight disappear, and the holy month is welcomed with a state of sorrow and sadness.

Abu Muhammad Issa confirms to Al Jazeera Net: “We receive the month of Ramadan with great sadness, and our hearts are broken for the people of Gaza. We pray to God to grant them victory and give them strength.”

For her part, Wafa Damj says: “I cannot be happy. We love the month of Ramadan, but we also love that our people in Gaza are comfortable and have food and food. Every time I eat a morsel of food, I feel that we must feel for them and provide them with food, but I am unable.” "For their help, this causes us pain."

Mar Elias

In Mar Elias camp, Secretary General of the Palestinian Youth Union, Youssef Ahmed, told Al Jazeera Net: “Today comes the holy month of Ramadan for the Palestinian refugees in the camps and throughout the diaspora, and our people in Gaza are suffering from pain, hunger, siege, killing, and destruction, and the refugees share this pain with the residents of Gaza. And they stand by them in this difficult stage.”

He adds: "Our message is for the whole world to stand by this people who are struggling for their freedom, dignity and independence. We say to our people in Gaza: You are the strong ones today, and the occupation is the one suffering defeat, while you are steadfast on your land, resisting the occupation, its terrorism and its aggression."

Ghada Othman, a resident of the camp, says: “There is no Ramadan atmosphere this year. The suffering and hunger that our people in Gaza are experiencing has taken the joy out of this month. We are fasting today and we feel a small part of their suffering that they have been going through for 5 months and more.”

In Tyre, in the south, the People's Committee of Burj Al-Shamali camp called for the continuation of solidarity activities and support for the people of the Gaza Strip during the month of Ramadan, while stressing not to engage in any manifestation of rejoicing and joy, and not to buy or sell firecrackers, which are considered part of expressing happiness.

“With Gaza, One Body” is an initiative launched by Palestinian refugees in the Rashidiya camp in the city of Tyre, aiming to provide shelter tents and fuel for hospitals, as a form of solidarity and solidarity during the holy month with the people of the Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera