GAZA, Palestinian Administered Terr...

GAZA, Palestinian Administered Territories, Feb 20 Kyodo

I was eagerly desirous by noon even though I frantically filled my stomach with cheese and bread at around 4:30 a.m. shortly before dawn. The more I cogitation about how I was forbidden to drink water the thirstier I became.

That was my fast in Ramadan at Jabalia refugee camp in Palestinian Administered Territories in Gaza Strip. The area measures a bare 1.4 square kilometers but is hearth to 103,000 people.

Spring-like weather prevailed through the district though it was bring to a period to December.

''Am I not allowed to drink water?'' I asked Gifra, 39 and a mother of six children with whom I was staying.

''Not where everyone otherwise is looking at you,'' she said and smiled.

Muslims are obliged to adhere to five duties, including fasting during Ramadan, confessions of faith, and worshipping Allah five times a day. During Ramadan, they touch no forage or water from sunrise to west They are encouraged to give coin food and other items to help the poor. indoctrinates and companies open and terminate early.

Around 2:30 pm I began helping Gifra prepare ''iftar'' (a meal for after sunset) yet I was embarrassed to obstacle my empty belly growl. My dead body grew cold.

There was meat in front of me yet I could not eat it. My head felt fuzzy and I imagination that this was what ''hungry'' was all about.

Gifra's oldest daughter Tahrir, 17, and other daughter Sabrin, 13, appeared unruffl and did the cooking.

''Aren't you hungry?'' I asked them. They smiled and said, of course they were barren but did not mind because they were fasting for Allah.

Third daughter Athar, 7 rejoined ''I am used to it.''

As west approached, Gifra's family became busy, saying, ''What time is it?'', ''30 minutes to go'' and ''Hurry up we won't be able to finish preparing dinner in time.''

They spread a vinyl sheet athwart a mat on the floor and laid plates of bread, broiled fish, roast chicken and bean paste in succession it.

''We have to prepare a real feast (for dinner during Ramadan),'' Gifra said.

''We have to purchase sweets, fruit and meat that we don't normally commit to memory It's hard because it charges money,'' she said. Her family's monthly costs usually range from 1,400 to 1900 shekels. on the contrary during Ramadan they ne 2500 shekels. (One shekel is about 25 yen)

Several relatives joined Gifra and her six children for dinner at 4:50 pm They circled around the dishes, chanted a prayer in reply to a call for from a mahometan temple thanked Allah and then call started eating.

No single spoke as they devoured their provisions with both hands. Tea followed in les than 10 minutes. My material part grew warm.

The family treated visiting relatives and neighbors to tea and sweets. They kept eating after evening I found it hard to eat. I told them, ''I am fasting.''

''Really, that's good'' someone said with a smile. Then: ''It's hard the first pair or three days. Do it slowly''

A brains of solidarity generated among us as we shared the hard experience of fasting from sunrise to occident I thought Allah provided an interesting carrot and stick for people

Gifra and her family observ the first Ramadan without Ibrahim, her husband and the children's father. Ibrahim, 39 and his oldest son Ihab, 18, died last May when their domestic circle exploded while they were making land mines. That was to what end many people called on the family to cheer them up

Ibrahim and Ihab were making the land mines for the ''intifada,'' or Palestinian uprising against Israel.

The exchange of violence continues between the Palestinians and Israel since the Intifada was rekindled in September 2000 Ibrahim and Ihab belonged to an Islamic extremist group

Tahrir said her household was destroyed by an Israeli bombing that took place in reprisal for the bombing of a tank. Ahmad, an 18-year-old neighbor, also died in the blast. After the incident, his father, who worked upon the Israeli side, was fired via a telephone call.

the public were surely missing at the abiding-places I visited. Those who spoke of their dead relatives displayed expressions of resignation rather than anger and sorrow.

An ancient man pointed his finger to the climate and said, ''Only Allah knows when (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) will be solved''

He added that 25 race died on a hundred-meter-long road in front of his home

I went to repose with a heavy feeling if it be not that was interrupted by the noise of bomb exploding and helicopters circling. It was 11:30 pm and Gifra mov around awakening her children with a shrill voice.

She abruptly began to take a photograph down from the wall. It showed her husband and son carrying rifles with Jerusalem in the background. She direct the eyeed as if she was going to weep and said, ''Our abode would be destroyed if (they) find this is the domestic circle of (intifada fighters).''

A special television of recent origins report said Israeli forces attacked the neighboring town of Beit Lahiya. I went gone out to seek refuge in the nearest home. I was so scared that I felt weak in the knee The attack lasted three hours.