Muslims perform Tarawih prayers in al-Haram al-Sharif on the eve of Ramadan, February 28, 2025.

Credit:

 Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Photo Essay

Palestinians Are Alert and in Mourning as They Mark Second Ramadan since the Gaza Genocide Began

Snapshot

This year, Ramadan in Jerusalem’s Old City is not a festive time as Palestinians remain in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and are anxious and tense due to Israel’s militarization of the Islamic holy month.

The Old City

Jerusalem hesitates as it welcomes Ramadan this year. The alleys, usually aglow with festive decorations, are dimmer than ever. Damascus Gate, one of the seven open gates in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, once bustling with vendors and people of all ages gathering, now hosts only a handful of stalls and mostly groups of young men.

“Police in every corner” feels like an understatement, making every Palestinian’s movement feel scrutinized. The atmosphere is subdued—Palestinians come to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque and, for the most part, leave soon after. The clearest sign of the holy month’s arrival is the increased presence of people in the Old City; otherwise, only scattered lantern stalls hint at the Ramadan spirit.

Palestinians remain steadfast in solidarity with their brethren in Gaza, who continue to endure the aftermath of a 470-day-long genocide. Just last week, as the first stage of the ceasefire deal ended, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza just as Ramadan began.1

Photo Essay The Gates of the Old City

A quick guide to the often-confusing gates to the Old City of Jerusalem

People shop for traditional lanterns on the eve of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem, February 28, 2025.

People buy traditional Ramadan lanterns in the Old City of Jerusalem on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, February 28, 2025.

Credit: 

John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

A man uses a telescope to search for the crescent moon, marking the start of Ramadan in Jerusalem’s Old City, February 2025.

A man uses a telescope to spot the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, in the courtyard of al-Haram al-Sharif one day before Ramadan on February 28, 2025.

Credit: 

Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Girls and their father perform tarawih prayers on the night before Ramadan in al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyard, Jerusalem, February 2025.

Two girls and their father perform tarawih prayers in al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyard on the night before Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem, February 28, 2025.

Credit: 

Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Women perform tarawih prayers on Ramadan eve in the courtyard of al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem’s Old City, February 2025.

Muslim women gather to perform tarawih prayers in al-Aqsa Mosque on February 28, 2025, welcoming the start of Ramadan in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Credit: 

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

A shop owner sells goods and lanterns in the Old City of Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan 2025.

Vendors sell lanterns in the Old City of Jerusalem in preparation for Ramadan 2025.

Credit: 

Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Palestinian shoppers walk through a market filled with items in the Old City of Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan 2025.

Palestinian shoppers walk through a market filled with goods in the Old City of Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan 2025.

Credit: 

Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Notes

1

Jaroslav Lukiv and Paul Adams, “Israel Blocks Entry of All Humanitarian Aid into Gaza,” BBC News, March 2, 2025.

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