Jerusalem Fears rise as holy festivals converge

In the Old City of Jerusalem and the Palestinian neighbourhoods surrounding it, preparations for Ramadan are under way: strings of festive lights and lanterns are ready to welcome sundown today, while sweet shops and bakers are busy making qatayef -fried dumplings filled with cream or sweet cheese, traditionally eaten during the Muslim holy month.

- Bethan McKernan, Sufian Taha

The period of fasting that commemorates Gabriel's revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad is a time for self-discipline, reflection and celebrations with family and friends. As with almost every religious holiday in the contested city, however, this year Ramadan is accompanied by worries of surging violence.

At least 88 Palestinians, of whom about half were militants and half civilians, and 16 Israelis, of whom 15 were civilians, have been killed since January, according to rights groups, making 2023 the deadliest start to the year in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 20 years. The bloodshed has led to speculation that the region is at the beginning of a third intifada, or Palestinian uprising.

Contrary the Muslim to popular belief, holy month does not necessarily correspond with an upswing in violence, though this year's convergence with Passover and Easter increases the possibility of friction as Jerusalem hosts an unusually large influx of pilgrims.

The hardline new Israeli government's unabated appetite for demolishing Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, and a decision this week to repeal a 2005 law ordering the evacuation of four sensitive West Bank settlements, have also inflamed tensions.