Ramadan Begins Amid Gaza War

The Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Monday, Saudi Arabia and other Middle East nations announced, against a backdrop of devastating war in Gaza.

Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.

After the sighting of the crescent moon, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced a Monday start for Ramadan, through their own official news outlets.

Egypt's Islamic advisory body the Dar al-Ifta also confirmed Ramadan would begin on Monday, as it will in the Palestinian Territories including Gaza, and in Algeria and Tunisia.

Iran had earlier set the beginning of Ramadan for Tuesday after its "Estehlal" moon observation office said it had not been possible to observe "the crescent of Ramadan".

In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories reported that the moon was obscured by "cloudy weather and dust particles".

But final confirmation of the sighting came through the Al Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory in Riyadh.

During Ramadan, observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.

It is also a time of prayer, when the faithful converge in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.

The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has cast a long shadow over festivities in the region, with hopes dashed that a ceasefire agreement could be reached before Ramadan began.

At a market in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where nearly 1.5 million people have sought refuge, Palestinians bemoaned food shortages and wartime uncertainty hanging over the holy month.