
Sidi Shayban’s Ramadan iftars challenge Israeli restrictions in West Bank
Al Jazeera
From displaced Gaza families to the poor, a Palestinian initiative ensures no one is excluded from meals and compassion.
El-Bireh, occupied West Bank – In a modest Ramallah hotel, nearly 100 displaced Palestinians from Gaza, most receiving medical treatment, wait silently for iftar. They sit on plastic chairs around long tables, bathed in the golden light of sunset.
They carry stories of loss. Some lean on crutches, missing limbs. Parents watch over sick children, exhaustion etched into their faces.
Ahmed Abu al-Am and his volunteers move quickly, distributing meals.
A handful of volunteers offloaded trays and boxes of food from two vehicles which had just arrived from the kitchen, some 15 minutes away.
Abu al-Am has run the Sidi Shayban communal kitchen since 2002, serving iftar every Ramadan.