Palestinians in Gaza had little to celebrate on Sunday as they began marking a normally festive Muslim holiday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and no end in sight to Israel’s war.
Many held prayers outside demolished mosques on the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
It's supposed to be a joyous occasion, when families gather for feasts and purchase new clothes for children — but most of Gaza's 2 million Palestinians are just trying to survive.
“It’s the Eid of Sadness,” Adel al-Shaer said after attending outdoor prayers in the central town of Deir al-Balah.
“We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives, and our futures. We lost our students, our schools, and our institutions. We lost everything.”
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Gaza’s food and medical supplies are running out fast, the UN says, leaving families in desperate need as aid operations are hindered by the conflict.
‘Killing, displacement, hunger’
Twenty members of his extended family have been killed in Israeli strikes, including four young nephews just a few days ago, he said as he broke into tears.
Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the war earlier this month when the resistance group refused to accept Benjamin Netanyahu’s last-minute changes to the agreement reached in January.
Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians, and Israel has allowed no food, fuel or humanitarian aid to enter for four weeks.
"There is killing, displacement, hunger, and a siege," said Saed al-Kourd, another worshipper.
“We go out to perform God’s rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.”
The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Hamas is still holding dozens of captives after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other agreements.
Israel's war has killed over 50,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.
Israel's bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and at their height, displaced all of the population.
After Israel shattered the ceasefire in March, Gaza enters a third Eid under siege—where grief, hunger, and death take the place of celebration.
