No end to fighting in sight as Ramadan begins with Gaza hunger crisis worsening

As Ramadan begins many Palestinians have begun fasting, but there has been little to celebrate as ceasefire talks remain at a standstill, ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy reports from Jerusalem

With no end to fighting sight, Muslims in Gaza began fasting on Monday for the holy month of Ramadan as hunger worsens across the strip and pressure intensifies on Israel over the growing humanitarian crisis.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the bodies of 67 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours, bringing the Palestinian death toll to more than 31,112 since October.

The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says that women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

Prayers were held outside amid the rubble of demolished buildings in Gaza as fairy lights and decorations were hung in packed tent camps, in an attempt to celebrate the start of the religious event.

One video from a United Nations school-turned-shelter showed children dancing and spraying foam, as a man sang into a loudspeaker. But there was little to celebrate as fighting has ravaged the territory.

Five months of war has forced around 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine.

Families would ordinarily break the daily sunrise-to-sundown 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, 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 holiday 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 have stalled.

Hamas is demanding guarantees that any such agreement will lead to an end to the war.

However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected that demand, vowing to continue the offensive until “total victory” against the militant group and the release of all the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Fighting began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 100 captives.

On Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had killed “Hamas’ number four” leader and added that more targeted killings were to come.

“Three, two, and one are on the way. They are all dead men. We will reach them all," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Hamas to honour the spirit of Ramadan by “silencing the guns” and releasing all the hostages.

“The eyes of the world are watching. The eyes of history are watching. We cannot look away,” he said.

“We must act to avoid more preventable deaths. … Desperate civilians need action - immediate action.”

Israel has vowed to expand its offensive to the southern city of Rafah, where half of Gaza’s population has sought refuge, without saying where civilians would go to escape the onslaught.

US President Joe Biden said an attack on Rafah would be a “red line” for him, but that he would continue to provide military aid to Israel.

Biden acknowledged in his annual Ramadan message that the holy month comes “at a moment of intense pain."

“As Muslims gather around the world over the coming days and weeks to break their fast, the suffering of the Palestinian people will be front of mind for many. It is front of mind for me,” he said.

The US and other countries have begun airdropping aid, but humanitarian groups say such efforts are costly and insufficient.

The US military has also begun transporting equipment to build a sea bridge to deliver aid, but it will likely be several weeks before it is operational.

A ship belonging to Spanish aid group Open Arms was expected to make a pilot voyage to Gaza from nearby Cyprus, though it was not clear when it would depart.

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