As Ramadan begins, Gaza is under the shadow of Israel's anti-famine measures, which have severely restricted food for millions of people in the besieged enclave.
Here's what happened on Monday, March 11, 2024:
Combat and humanitarian crisis
- On Monday, our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic said Israeli forces had launched attacks on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and the Nuseyrat refugee camp in the central enclave.
- According to local media reports, Israeli forces bombed the Ashur family home in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, killing at least 10 people.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday claimed at least 13,000 “terrorists” were among the Palestinians killed in Israel's war in Gaza, in the southern region where 1.4 million people have fled. He promised to press ahead with an attack on the city of Rafah. The vast majority of the 31,000 people killed were civilians, according to the Palestinian Authority and aid agencies.
- This year, Palestinians in Gaza will mark Ramadan amidst widespread destruction and hunger caused by Israel's war and blockade of the enclave.
regional tensions
- A ship carrying 200 tonnes of food aid to Gaza remained anchored in Cyprus on Sunday night due to “technical difficulties”, Radio Cyprus (RIK) said.
- The British government has pledged 117 million pounds ($150 million) to protect Muslim communities amid a surge in anti-Muslim attacks following Israel's outbreak of war in Gaza.
- British director Jonathan Glaser mentioned Israel's war in Gaza in his 2024 Academy Awards acceptance speech. His Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest'' won the award for Best International Feature at a ceremony held in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.
- US President Joe Biden says the suffering of the Palestinians is on his mind as Muslims around the world begin observing the fasting month of Ramadan.
- Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has joined the chorus of international condemnation of Israel's recognition of new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- Israel's ambassador to the United Nations has called on Antonio Guterres to resign as secretary-general. Guterres has condemned Israeli killings of civilians and repeatedly called for a ceasefire.
Violence in the occupied West Bank
- Israeli forces on Sunday night prevented hundreds of Muslim worshipers from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for prayers to mark the start of Ramadan, according to the Wafa news agency.
