Palestinians in the conflict-stricken Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam's most significant holidays with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes on Friday morning, with little hope for an early end to the war with Israel.
With much of Gaza in ruins, men and children were forced to hold traditional Eid al-Adha prayers outdoors, and food supplies were running low, leaving families to make do with whatever they could find for the three-day celebration.
“This is the hardest holiday the Palestinian people have ever experienced because of the unjust war against them,” Kamel Emran said after attending a prayer in the southern city of Khan Younis.
“There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no houses, no mattresses… Living conditions are extremely difficult.”
The Islamic holiday begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah, during the Hajj season in Saudi Arabia.
For the second year in a row, Muslims in Gaza have been unable to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the traditional pilgrimage.
Israel again warned civilians in northern Gaza on Friday, saying the military was planning major operations in the area after it claimed rockets were fired from the Strip toward Israel.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251 hostages.
They are currently holding 56 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be alive after most others were released under ceasefires or other agreements. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
