Gaza City, Gaza - Dis Eid, di people wey dey Gaza bin dey hope say dem go fit enjoy small peace—make dem fit celebrate di holiday wit di small tins wey dem still get. But instead, dem dey bury dia dead again, dey manage food, and dey hold onto di memories of di Eids wey don pass.

Di morning Eid prayers go happen for streets wey dey quiet and heavy, and for plenty people, di only visit wey dem go do na to di fresh graves of dia loved ones.

Since March wey Israel start to bomb Gaza again and break di ceasefire agreement wey dem arrange for February, di place don enter another level of wahala. Di new attack wey dem do kill 180 pikin for one day wit airstrikes, and di ground soldiers don dey destroy Rafah again.

Di latest attack don scatter any small hope of normal life. Over 900 Palestinians don die since March 18 because of di Israeli forces.

Di pikin dem no dey ask for toy or sweet again; instead, dem dey pray for dia family members wey don die.

Ahmad Hamdan, 11 years old, lose im papa for March when Israeli drone strike kill am. For Ahmad, Eid no mean anything again without im papa.

“Na im dey buy my Eid clothes,” Ahmad tell TRT World. “Na im dey make Eid sweet for me. Now, I no dey feel anything.”

E dey pain am well well as e add: “Nobody dey look after me, nobody dey make me feel safe. E dey pain me every time I remember say my papa don go forever.”

Di sorrow wey Ahmad dey feel na wetin everybody for Gaza dey feel too. Everybody don lose person.

For Jabaliya, one town for di north, Ranim Mousa, 34 years old, dey waka for di place wey her house dey before. “Before di war, I get plans. I suppose go study Arabic manuscripts for abroad. I even get scholarship,” she talk as she stand near di iron wey scatter for di place wey her house dey before.

“When dem announce ceasefire, I begin get hope say life fit return to normal. But instead, life don worse. Dem bomb my house for di new airstrikes and my small brother don die. Now, Eid na just another reminder of wetin we don lose.”

Di March attack wey Israel do don cause plenty wahala for di people wey dey Gaza. Di civilians dey suffer pass. Whole neighbourhoods don scatter. Fuel and food no dey. International aid no dey reach dem well.

Di streets no dey full of celebration again like before. Now, na only di sound of drones and di cry of people wey dey mourn you go hear.

Di rituals of Eid don turn to memory for di past.

Esra Tartur, 26 years old, dey sit down for wetin remain of her house for Gaza City. Part of di house don scatter because of Israeli bombs. “Eid before dey mean joy—new clothes, sweet, prayer wit my family. But dis na di third Eid for di war and instead of celebration, I just dey hold onto hope. No be for perfect life—just life wey I no go dey fear to sleep.”

Di humanitarian wahala don worse since March. Food no dey and di price don high. Di vegetables wey dem dey grow for di area before no dey affordable again because fuel no dey to water di farm or carry di food go market. Bakery no dey open. Water no dey clean or e no dey available at all.

“Eid Al-Fitr dey come after Ramadan to give di body small joy and make di soul and hungry belle rest,” Sheikh Masoud Al-Rais, di Imam of Al-Qastal Mosque for Gaza, tell TRT World.

“But for Gaza, Eid no be joy again. Na just hunger and suffering because di occupation dey tighten di wahala, dem no even allow people chop well. E dey pain us say our Eid dey come like dis—without di sound of joy, without di normal tins wey we dey do.”

For Eid morning, Mohammed Al-Kafarna, 43 years old, from Gaza City dey share small food of tinned beans and hummus wit im wife and five pikin. Na di “lucky days” be dis when e fit get small food.

For Al-Kafarna, dis new war don take almost everything from am. E don lose im friends, im work, and both of im brothers—dem arrest dem for di latest raid wey Israeli forces do for Beit Hanoun.

“Dis Eid, I no go visit family. I go visit di graves of my friends wey Israeli strikes kill,” e talk wit heavy voice. “We dey laugh together for mosque after morning prayers before. Now, I dey pray alone.”

E never hear from im brothers for weeks. “I no even sabi if dem still dey alive. Eid don turn to day of mourning. Nothing dey to celebrate again.”

As di sun rise for another Eid wey blood don stain, di people of Gaza dey try hold on. Dem believe say one day, di war go end. Di graves go dey full of flowers instead of tears. Di streets go dey full of laughter, no be sirens. And di pikin dem for Gaza go celebrate Eid di way e suppose be—wit peace.