In the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians offered the first tarawiya prayer on the occasion of the month of Ramadan near the ruins of the Farouk Mosque, which was destroyed by Israeli bombing.
Thousands of police have been deployed through the narrow streets of Jerusalem's Old City, where tens of thousands of worshipers are expected to pray each day at the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites.
The area, considered the holiest site by Jews who know it as the Temple Mount, has been a site of clashes between Palestinians and Israelis.
The month of fasting can exacerbate tensions in this city as well.
Unlike previous years, the narrow streets of the city are not decorated with holiday lights.
"We don't feel that we are on the eve of Ramadan," says Um Ammar, crossing the street of the historic city of Al-Wad. The war in the Gaza Strip is preoccupying most people. The atmosphere is gloomy. Added to this is the uncertainty of how the holy month of fasting and prayers can be spent.
"We will break our fast in the evening, but many in Gaza do not have enough food," she says. "When people sit down at the table...This year is not Ramadan, it feels more like a funeral atmosphere."
According to the data of the Ministry of Health run by Hamas, during the attacks of Israel in Gaza, about 31.000 people have been killed, while aid organizations warn that a crisis of hunger is threatening.
