On March 1, millions of Muslims around the globe ushered in the sacred month of Ramadan, marking the start of a month of fasting, with the fast traditionally broken at sunset during an iftar meal. These two terms have fascinating connections to Hebrew. Contrary to common belief, the word Ramadan was not originally associated with fasting.

This analysis roughly lines up with that of Gaza health officials, who reported late last year that Israel has caused over 1,400 families to be wiped from the civil registry. Further, officials found that there were at least 3,400 families who had lost all but one member to Israeli attacks.

Israel has cut off the entry of all food and other goods into Gaza in an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of its war with Hamas.

Cutting off essential supplies to Gaza could follow Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to block delivery of humanitarian aid

Israel on Sunday blocked aid flowing into Gaza, where a six-week truce enabled the entry of vital food, shelter and medical assistance, prompting the UN to call for an immediate restoration of humanitarian assistance.

The announcement signaled a breakdown in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, the first phase of which expired Saturday with no clear next steps.

Qatar, a key negotiator of the ceasefire, accused Israel of violating the deal. The U.N. relief chief said aid access must be allowed under international law.

These same organizations have accused Israel of restricting or creating hurdles ... to put food on the table for the break-fast meal of Iftar. Markets had recently begun to come back to life.

As the sun set over a neighbourhood in Rafah, where fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants has left barely a handful of buildings standing, hundreds of Gazans of all ages dug into the iftar meal marking the end of the day’s fast.

After fasting from sunrise to sundown, Winnipeg's Palestinian community hosted an iftar that welcomed everyone who wanted to share a meal and celebrate Ramadan at the Sturgeon Heights Community Centre on Sunday evening.

For Palestinians observing Ramadan in Gaza, the Muslim holy month started this year under a fragile ceasefire agreement that paused more than 15 months of the Israel-Hamas war.