Palestinians in war-torn Gaza marked Eid-ul-Adha on Friday with somber outdoor prayers near destroyed mosques and homes, as the devastating conflict with Israel shows no signs of abating.
With most of Gaza reduced to rubble, families gathered in open spaces for Eid prayers while struggling to prepare meals with dwindling food supplies. “This is the worst Eid we’ve experienced due to Israel’s brutal war,” said Kamel Emran in Khan Younis. “No food, no shelter, no mosques remain – conditions are unbearable.”
The Islamic festival, which coincides with Hajj in Saudi Arabia, saw Gazans unable to perform pilgrimage for the second consecutive year. In Gaza City, displaced mother Sanaa Al-Ghola prayed at a damaged cemetery for her son Mohamed, killed last month while fetching flour. “We’ve lost everything. There’s no Eid without you, my son,” she wept, clutching his photo.
At Muwasi displacement camp, Tahrir Abu Jazar served leftover lentils to her five children. “No new clothes, no sacrificial meat, no joy – just fear of warplanes,” she said, recalling pre-war celebrations.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned nearly 500,000 Gazans face acute food insecurity by September, with famine risk spreading across the territory. Despite Israel recently allowing limited aid, distribution remains hampered by military restrictions and looting risks.
The conflict has claimed over 54,000 Palestinian lives and displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2 million population.