This Eid Al-Fitr, Palestinians in Gaza marked the holiday with Israeli airstrikes and alarming rates of hunger while being left with only rubble from 229 destroyed mosques to pray on.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza over the phone on Wednesday, the Palestinian news agency (Wafa) reported.
During the call, President Abbas briefed Sheikh Tamim on the developments in Palestine, including the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, according to Wafa.
Abbas stressed the need to immediately halt the war, prevent the displacement of Palestinians, and increase the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Apart from Gaza, the Palestinian leader also emphasised the importance of halting Israel’s escalations in the West Bank, especially in Jerusalem, which have been on the rise since the beginning of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Throughout the war, Israel intensified its raids in the West Bank, carrying out a mass arrest campaign. Since the start of the war, Israeli occupation forces have arrested more than 8,000 Palestinians, including minors and freed prisoners.
Meanwhile, President Abbas also stressed the importance of Palestine gaining its full membership in the United Nations. Palestine is currently a “non-member observer state” whereas Israel enjoys a full membership.
“In turn, the Amir of Qatar reaffirmed his country’s position in support of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people until they achieve their full legitimate rights,” Wafa added.
The conversation took place as Israel continued its genocidal war in Gaza during the first day of Eid, with ceasefire talks having yet to yield progress.
This Eid Al-Fitr, Palestinians in Gaza marked the holiday with Israeli airstrikes and alarming rates of hunger while being left with only rubble from 229 destroyed mosques to pray on.
On the eve of Eid, Israel killed at least 14 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in an airstrike that targeted a residential square in Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to Wafa.
Israel then killed five others, including children, on Wednesday evening in an airstrike on a vehicle in the west of Gaza. Between the night before Eid and the first day of the holiday, Israel killed at least 122 people while injuring 56 others, according to Wafa.
The attacks raised the total figure of those killed by Israel in Gaza to 33,482, with 76,049 others injured.
In a video message on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his “heartbreak” over the fact that Muslims in Gaza and Sudan among others are marking Eid under war.
“My heart is broken knowing that in Gaza, Sudan and many other places – because of conflict and hunger – so many Muslims will not be able to celebrate properly,” Guterres said.
Reports this week had pointed to the possibility of reaching a pause during Eid during the resumed talks in Cairo.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have continued their efforts to reach a breakthrough following the months-long stalemate.
On Tuesday, the mediators presented a new three-phased proposed truce deal involving the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza and ensuring the safe return of internally displaced civilians.
Hamas said it was considering the deal while noting that “the Israeli position is still intransigent and failed to respond to any of the demands” it presented. The group was referring to its demands for a complete ceasefire and the unconditional return of displaced people.
“Despite this, the movement’s leadership is studying the presented proposal with national responsibility, and will inform the mediators with its response once it is ready,” Hamas said at the time.
Al Jazeera also cited a Hamas figure on Monday as accusing Israel of impeding efforts to reach a deal, following earlier statements from Egypt that “noticeable progress” was made in the talks held in Cairo on April 7.
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zahry also said that Israel’s threats to invade the densely populated city of Rafah raised questions about the purpose of resuming negotiations.
The city currently has more than one million displaced Palestinians who were forced to flee to southern Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israel killed three children and four grandchildren of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh during an airstrike in Gaza. Haniyeh received the news over the phone while he was visiting a number of wounded Palestinians from Gaza receiving treatment at a hospital in Doha.
Speaking to Al Jazeera moments after receiving the news, Haniyeh said the attack on his family will not change Hamas’s position in ongoing ceasefire talks.
“If they think that targeting my children at the peak of these talks before the movement’s [Hamas’s] response is submitted will cause Hamas to change its positions, they are delusional,” Haniyeh said.
