Doha, Qatar – Haya al-Barai is preparing for another quiet Ramadan in Qatar. She will spend the Muslim holy month with her grandmother, far from home, as Israel’s war on Gaza has torn her family apart.
The 16-year-old arrived in Qatar’s capital in December 2023 after losing her parents in Israeli air strikes. Al-Barai was also injured in the attacks and is now paraplegic.
One of her sisters, who was wounded as well, is currently in Türkiye, while her other two sisters and a brother remain in Gaza.
“I don’t want to celebrate Ramadan here. I used to enjoy Ramadan with my family. We would eat and play games together. My family was together at that time,” Haya said.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has orphaned more than 38,000 Palestinians. Approximately 1,400 Palestinians have been evacuated to Doha, with nearly 500 of them injured. Most are now living in a compound in Thumama, on the southern outskirts of Qatar’s capital.
For Muslims worldwide, Ramadan is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and sharing moments with loved ones. However, for many Palestinian evacuees in Doha, this Ramadan signifies another year of separation from their families in Gaza.
Hamsa al-Raqp, 12, lost her left eye and broke her right arm in an Israeli air strike. She recalls the joy of playing games with her cousins during Ramadan in Gaza.
Her father, Maher, shared that the family has not celebrated Ramadan since the war began.
“Last year, as the killing continued, we did not do anything for Ramadan. I watched television all day and worried about my family still in Gaza. I check on them every day just to make sure they are alive,” Maher said. “This year’s Ramadan makes no difference to me, as my wife and my three children remain in Gaza.”
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