Palestinians in the Gaza Strip held the first Tarawih prayers of Ramadan in small prayer rooms built as their mosques were destroyed by Israeli bombardment.
Worshippers prayed for an end to the war, the liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation, the lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip and the release of all prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The UN Integrated Food Security Stage Classification (IPC) officially declared a famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas, warning that over 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions. Another 1.7 million are in emergency levels, with nearly all agriculture destroyed and food access critically restricted since March.
UN officials said the famine is “entirely man-made” and blamed Israel’s obstruction of aid deliveries. Human rights chief Volker Türk warned that deaths from starvation may constitute war crimes. Israel rejected the report, calling it based on “Hamas’s lies.”
TR