Palestinians in Gaza Strip are marking Eid al-Adha amid conflict and humanitarian crise in difficult circumstances, which has sapped this religious holiday of its joyous traditions and celebration.
Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, traditionally involves slaughtering livestock and sharing meat with those in need; then gathering for festive meals. But this year is different; overshadowed by two years of war.
As most mosques have been destroyed in Gaza, worshippers gathered to offer prayers in open spaces amid the rubble. Men and children offered their services beside a destroyed mosque demolished by Israeli bombardment at Deir al-Balah; in Khan Younis Kamel Emran from Khan Younis lamented, “No food, flour shelter mosque homes mattresses… conditions are very harsh”
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Eid al-Adha sacrifices have become nearly impossible this year due to blockades and bombardments in Gaza. Nearly all livestock has perished from these conditions; only some survivors can be seen at makeshift pen displays, yet prices made them unaffordable to most residents – Abdel Rahman Madi of Muwasi described his inability to afford anything beyond bread as evidence of skyrocketing costs for meat, vegetables and fruit (he stated: “I can’t even buy bread. No meat no vegetables – prices are astronomical”) for this story from timesofindia.indiatimes.com +5 as reported on Euronews +2 and APNNews +5, respectively
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The humanitarian situation continues to worsen in Palestine. According to UN figures, nearly 500,000 Palestinians are experiencing extreme food insecurity with shortages experienced across all of society. Aid distribution remains restricted due to Israeli controls and unsafe conditions leading to incidents where civilians seeking aid have been killed.
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Gazans persevere through hardship to honor Eid in its spirit. Worshippers gathered at Abu Amin mosque’s makeshift prayer room, offering prayers and offering tributes for loved ones lost. Families visited cemeteries to pay their respects while children recited prayers beside surviving animals to maintain tradition amidst destruction. Khaleejtimes.com
euronews.com For the second consecutive year, Gazans are unable to perform Hajj pilgrimages due to border closures and travel restrictions imposed during an ongoing conflict that began October 7, 2023 and has caused over 54,000 Palestinian deaths and uprooted approximately 90% of Gaza’s 2 million residents since October 7. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Reuters.com | Apnews | Arabnews…
As the war continues without end, Gazan residents’ resilience in maintaining cultural and religious practices stands as evidence of their unyielding spirit. At the same time, their tremendous loss and suffering point out how urgently a resolution to this conflict must come in order to restore basic rights and dignity for Palestinian people.
