Israel-Hamas war rages in besieged Gaza on eve of Ramadan

Deadly fighting raged on in Gaza on Sunday, with no truce in sight on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and a dire humanitarian crisis gripping the besieged Palestinian territory, reports AFP.

A Spanish charity ship carrying food aid was expected to soon set sail from the Mediterranean island-nation of Cyprus to help alleviate the suffering in the coastal Gaza Strip, now in its sixth month of war.
The non-governmental group Open Arms said its boat would carry 200 tonnes of food, which its partner the US charity World Central Kitchen would then unload on the shores of Gaza where it had constructed a basic dock.

As famine looms in parts of besieged Gaza, US, UAE, Egypt, Jordanian and other planes have also airdropped food aid there, but UN agencies warn this falls far short of the needs of its 2.4 million people.

The war, started by the October 7 attack on Israel, has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, where vast swathes have been reduced to a bombed-out wasteland.

Weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have aimed for a six-week truce and the release of many of the about 100 hostages Hamas is still holding in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, with no result so far.

The widely shared target had been to halt the fighting by the start of Ramadan, which is expected to begin Monday depending on the first sighting of the crescent moon.

The war, started by the October 7 attack on Israel, has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, where vast swathes have been reduced to a bombed-out wasteland.

Weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have aimed for a six-week truce and the release of many of the about 100 hostages Hamas is still holding in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, with no result so far.

The widely shared target had been to halt the fighting by the start of Ramadan, which is expected to begin Monday depending on the first sighting of the crescent moon.