By Mohamad Majed Mustafa Haboush
GAZA (AA) – As Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip continued since October last year, hundreds of Palestinians gathered for iftar dinner, or fast-breaking meal, on the streets of Rafah on Sunday.
The iftar program was organized by residents of Rafah city for Palestinians who left their homes in different parts of the Gaza Strip and took shelter in the city.
Muslim Ahmed, one of the organizers, told Anadolu: "We decided to organize a community iftar for Palestinians in Rafah, including rice and meat, amid the ongoing war on Gaza."
"Our goal is to bring joy to the people fasting during these difficult circumstances of siege and war, and to provide them with a rich and nutritious meal," he added.
Despite warnings from regional and international leaders and organizations, Israel is planning a ground invasion of Rafah, which houses approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians.
On March 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced in a statement that he approved plans for a military action in Rafah and that the army is preparing to evacuate residents, but did not specify a timeframe for the launch of the offensive.
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.
More than 32,200 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul