Yazeed Abu Jarad turns sand into a work of art to welcome Ramadan Patience and determination are the guiding light of life for Gazans

On the beach of Khan Younis, Palestinian artist Yazeed Abu Jarad stood before the sea and turned a handful of sand into a message of life, carving the words “Ahlan, Ramadan” in large letters—like an open prayer in the face of pain and a small window of hope for people awaiting the holy month with hearts worn down by grief yet not extinguished by loss.

Yazeed, who was forcibly displaced from his hometown of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, carried his simple tools to the shore not to create a passing artwork, but to write the story of a people who refuse to abandon their spiritual rituals, even in the harshest moments. Here, there are no decorations and no illuminated streets, yet the sand itself has become a pulpit of hope.

In Gaza—long a beacon of patience, faith, strength and resilience amid its pain, sorrow and wounds—Ramadan arrives this year in a different and heavier form. It comes without safe homes, without full tables, without families gathered around a single dish, and without the children’s laughter that once preceded the call to break the fast. It comes burdened by absence, and by the memory of homes that have turned into ruins.

Even so, the words “Ahlan, Ramadan” etched in the sand appeared as a silent promise that the human spirit can still stand. A message that Gaza, even when weighed down by wounds, does not give up its faith nor the meaning of a month that symbolizes mercy, solidarity and tranquility—no matter how narrow the place becomes and how vast the pain grows.

Through this simple scene, Yazeed Abu Jarad tells the story of an entire city: a city that welcomes Ramadan without displays or celebrations, yet receives it with steadfast hearts and a deep determination that life can still be possible—and that hope can remain alive, even if it is carved into the sand of a beach, waiting for a new wave, a new sun, and a day with less pain for Gaza and its people.