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Gaza Residents Observe Eid al-Adha Amid the Ruins.
Hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip gathered on Friday morning to perform Eid al-Adha prayers atop the rubble of destroyed homes and mosques—marking a second consecutive year of commemorating the sacred holiday under the shadow of genocide.
The sound of takbeer rose from the debris-strewn streets of Gaza, as displaced families sought to preserve the ritual and dignity of Eid, despite devastation and loss. Makeshift prayer areas formed atop collapsed buildings and in overcrowded shelters, where worshippers stood shoulder to shoulder, grieving the absent and the fallen.
This year, Eid arrives with sorrow etched deep into the hearts of Gaza’s people. Cemeteries are filled with martyrs, hospitals overflow with the wounded, and hunger has spread as food supplies remain critically low. Traditional Eid practices—such as animal sacrifices, family gatherings, or sweets—are absent in the besieged enclave.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed militarily and diplomatically by the United States—has waged a war widely described by legal experts and humanitarian organizations as genocide. Despite global appeals and provisional orders issued by the International Court of Justice to halt hostilities, the Israeli campaign continues with mass killings, systematic starvation, and forced displacement.
To date, more than 180,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed or injured, the vast majority of them women and children. Over 11,000 remain missing, presumed dead beneath the rubble or forcibly disappeared. More than 1.5 million people—over half of Gaza’s population—have lost their homes.
Famine has tightened its grip, particularly in northern Gaza, where aid has been blocked and children have died from hunger and dehydration. Meanwhile, the Israeli siege—now in its 18th year—has turned Gaza into what observers call “a graveyard for international law.”
Despite these circumstances, the people of Gaza continue to demonstrate resilience. Friday’s Eid prayers, held amid ruin and despair, served as both a spiritual act and a defiant declaration of life. As the world watches, Gaza endures.
days of palestine