Giant Ramadan lantern in Ramallah ushers in the holy month

Описание: (16 Feb 2026)
WEST BANK RAMADAN LANTERNS

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

LENGTH: 2:28

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ramallah, West Bank - 15 February 2026
1. Wide of giant lantern
2. Tilt up of giant lantern
3. Mid of lantern, Ramallah municipality building in background
4. Various of workers working on lantern installation
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Salah Dbabseh, visitor from Hebron:
"The spirit of Ramadan this year is better than last year because last year there was a war, and the economic situation was somewhat deteriorated. It was financially (tough) for everyone. Most importantly, due to solidarity with the people of Gaza too, the situation was a bit difficult. So there wasn’t really a Ramadan spirit because of those circumstances. So this year, thank God, its joy is very much present and its preparations are underway, especially in Ramallah, which differs from the rest of the cities or the other villages of Palestine."

6. Various of workers cleaning giant lantern

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya, West Bank - 15 February 2026
7. Set up shot of Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Laila Ghannam
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Laila Ghannam, Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh:
"Of course it will be a month of worship, but we also fully know that there are always difficulties, the difficulties of the people as a whole. There must be access to places of worship, and this usurping occupier deprives us of access to Jerusalem to perform the religious rituals that are standard for people. There are checkpoints, killing, and terror, settlers rampaging everywhere. We fully know that it will be a difficult Ramadan, but we also fully know the steadfastness of our people, their resilience, and their connection to the land.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ramallah, West Bank - 15 February 2026
9. Various of workers cleaning giant lantern ahead of installation
10. Mid of lantern
11. Exterior of Ramallah municipality building, writing reading (Arabic/English): “Ramallah City Hall”
STORYLINE:
A giant lantern was installed on Sunday outside the Ramallah municipality building in the occupied West Bank in preparation for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Adorned with gold-colored Islamic patterns and accompanied with a crescent, Ramallah's big lantern glittered in the sunlight, ushering in the month with a celebratory flair.

It will be the first Ramadan since a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal that took effect Oct. 10 attempted to halt more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.

Palestinians in the West Bank hope this year will revive the joyful spirit of Ramadan in a region shaken by tragedy and economic downturn.

The joy of Ramadan "is very much present and its preparations are underway," said Salah Dbabseh, a resident from Hebron.

Despite the dazzling preparations and festive displays, the broader political and economic situation in the West Bank continues to cast a shadow over the holy month.

The World Bank has warned that the West Bank economy is at risk of collapse because of Israel’s restrictions.

By the end of last year, unemployment had surged to nearly 30% compared with around 12% before the war, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

The war in Gaza has brought a spike in Palestinian attacks on Israelis as well as settler violence.

Military operations that Israel says are aimed at dismantling militant groups have caused heavy damage in the West Bank and displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians.

These circumstances have deeply affected Palestinians in the West Bank as they prepare for Ramadan.


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