The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were celebrating on Sunday when they began celebrating an ordinary Muslim holiday that rapidly reduced the Israeli-Hamas war.
Most of them demolished outside the mosques during Eid al-Adha and prayed the end of the month of Ramadan. It is going to be a nice event when families gather for celebrations and buy new clothes for children — but most 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are just trying to stay.
“This is a holiday of sorrow,” said Adel al-Shair after attending outside prayers in the central town of Deir al-Balh. “We have lost our loved ones, our children, our lives and the future. We have lost our students, our schools and institutions. We have lost everything.
Twenty members of his eldest family were killed in an Israeli strike, including four young nephews a few days ago, while he was breaking his tears.
Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the fighting earlier this month when armed groups refused to accept the changes in the January deal. Israel’s strike has killed hundreds of Palestinians, and Israel has allowed any food, fuel and humanitarian aid to enter for four weeks.
“There are killings, displacements, hunger and siege,” said Saeed al-Kurd, another nurse. “We are going out to perform God’s ceremonies to make the children happy, but about the joy of the holidays? There is no holiday.
The fighting began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians and ate 251 hostages. Hamas still holds 59 prisoners – 24 of whom seem to be alive – after most of the others were released on ceasefire or other agreements.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, which does not discriminate between civilians and fighters in its number. Israel says it has killed nearly 20,000 fighters without giving evidence.
Israeli bombings and ground operations have destroyed large areas of Gaza, with a height of about 90 percent of their population.
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