Billie Eilish and Mark Ruffalo support the ceasefire in Gaza at the beginning of Ramadan
Celebrities on the Oscars red carpet showed their support for a ceasefire as Ramadan begins in Gaza without an agreement.
The holy month of Ramadan prompted Muslims around the world to fast and worship on Monday, but it did not bring an end to the death and destruction caused by the war in the Gaza Strip despite intense efforts by the United States and other countries to broker a ceasefire.
Palestinians prayed amid rubble and fear after talks faltered due to Israel's determination to crush Hamas and the armed group's demands for a path to permanent peace and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel pledged to expand its attack to the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge since the war began on October 7 with the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel. Hamas called for an escalation of resistance, which sparked a warning from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
He said: “I tell everyone who is thinking about trying it this month: We are ready. Do not make mistakes.”
President Joe Biden issued a statement acknowledging that the holy month had arrived “at a moment of intense pain” in the enclave, where the death toll has exceeded 31,000 people while nearly two million remain displaced. He said the United States would continue to lead efforts to increase humanitarian aid while “working nonstop” to broker a peace agreement.
“As Muslims around the world gather over the coming days and weeks to break their fast, the suffering of the Palestinian people will be at the forefront of the minds of many,” Biden said. “It's at the front of my mind for me.”
Netanyahu rejects Biden: He says Israelis overwhelmingly support the war
Developments:
∎ Narrated Mahjoub Al-Zwairi, a professor at Qatar University Al Jazeera The United States has pressured Israel not to tighten restrictions on access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the third holiest mosque in the West Bank, during the month of Ramadan. “If the Israelis do not listen to the Americans, the West Bank will likely become another Gaza within months,” Zweiri warned.
∎ Israeli forces and security forces arrested 20 wanted persons in an operation described as an anti-terrorism operation in the West Bank. The Israeli army said that 3,500 suspects have been arrested in the West Bank since the war began, more than 1,500 of whom are linked to Hamas.
∎ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani dismissed US efforts to airdrop aid as “merely symbolic” and part of a US attempt to justify supplying Israel with weapons used in Gaza.
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Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi warned on Monday that any restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of Muslim worshipers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque campus during the month of fasting could lead to an “explosion.” A video posted on social media on Sunday night shows clashes between Israeli border police and worshipers, and police said they were working to “enable freedom of worship (while ensuring safety and security).”
Israel announced last week that it would not reduce the number of worshipers allowed to pray at the site, one of the three holiest Islamic sites, for at least a week while security monitored. The mosque is part of the Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism where two biblical temples once stood.
The British Army's British Maritime Trade Operations Center said an explosion occurred near a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, but the ship's captain said no one was hurt. The attack likely came from Houthi rebels based in Yemen who targeted the ships, claiming they support the Palestinians in Gaza. Private security company Ambrey says the incident may have been caused by a missile, but few details were available and the Houthis did not issue an immediate statement.
A Houthi missile hit the merchant ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden last week, killing three crew members and forcing survivors to abandon ship. This was the first fatal strike since the attacks began late last year.
Contributing: The Associated Press
It was working to “enable freedom of worship on the Temple Mount while at the same time ensuring safety and security, in accordance with instructions issued by the political leadership.”
Mahjoub Al-Zwairi, a professor at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli government stripped far-right Defense Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of security responsibilities at the mosque at the request of American officials. Zweiri said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears full responsibility.
Al-Zweiri said: “The Americans have no interest in seeing the West Bank as another Gaza.” “If the Israelis do not listen to the Americans, the West Bank will likely become another Gaza within months.”
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