Gaza Residents Face Grim Eid al-Fitr Amid Ongoing Israeli Aggression, Siege
The holiday, traditionally a time of celebration following Ramadan, was instead filled with mourning and uncertainty.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 19 people, including women and children, were killed in overnight Israeli strikes. Many residents attended prayers outside the ruins of mosques destroyed in the war began in October 2023.
“It’s the Eid of sadness,” said Adel al-Shaer, who prayed in the town of Deir al-Balah, Associated Press reported on Sunday.
“We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives, and our futures. We lost our students, our schools, and our institutions. We lost everything.” Al-Shaer said that 20 members of his extended family had been killed in recent airstrikes, including four young nephews.
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The Israeli regime resumed its genocidal war earlier this month, violating a ceasefire agreement that had put end to 15 months of Israeli aggression. In the weeks since, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, and Israel has prevented the entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid for four weeks.
Efforts to revive the truce are ongoing, with Egypt and Qatar leading mediation attempts. On Saturday, Hamas announced its acceptance of a new proposal, though the specific terms remain unclear. Israel, working in coordination with the United States, said it had submitted its own counterproposal.
On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people in Khan Younis, including nine children and three women, as reported by Nasser Hospital.
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An Associated Press cameraman noted that two young girls among the dead appeared to be dressed in new Eid clothes. In a separate strike on Saturday night, three others were killed in Deir al-Balah, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
“There is killing, displacement, hunger, and a siege,” said worshipper Saed al-Kourd. “We go out to perform God’s rituals to bring joy to the children, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.”
Source: Agencies
