Tenth Ramadan while Gaza is under siege

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip welcomed the holy month of Ramadan while living under the strict Israeli siege for the tenth year.

Markets have suffered an unprecedented drop in sales and commodities because most families do not have the money to buy food and other items they may require.

In addition to this, the high summer temperatures are adding to the people’s suffering as there is an ongoing electricity crisis in the enclave which sees blackouts throughout the Strip for more than a third of the day.

Around 40,000 Palestinian civil servants in Gaza are still unrecognised by the national unity government which was formed about three years ago. They receive only 45 per cent of their salaries.

Additionally, more than 10,000 homes destroyed in the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza have not been rebuilt; leaving 10,000 families displaced.