Mosque in Gaza Opens After Ceasefire, Adhan’s Voice Returns to Refugee Camp
The mosque, located in the western part of Gaza City, had been shut down following heavy Israeli bombardment in the northern Gaza Strip. Its reopening came in the wake of a ceasefire agreement between Palestinian resistance groups and the Israeli regime.
It is the only mosque in that western area that was not destroyed, and it has now resumed its role as a spiritual center.
A video recorded by Al Jazeera showed a worshipper entering the mosque and prostrating in thanks. He said he had been displaced many times, and that “the mosque was like my home.”
Another congregant described its reopening as “a return of the soul” to a body, coming amid two difficult years.
The mosque’s muezzin noted that despite its survival, the structure had suffered substantial damage in the attacks. He added, “Thanks to the people of the camp and the ceasefire, we managed to clean the mosque so worshippers can perform God’s rites.”
The ceasefire took effect at noon Friday. Israeli forces withdrew to their lines according to a published roadmap, and thousands of displaced families began returning to northern Gaza via the Al-Rashid and Salah al-Din routes.
Since October 2023, Gaza has seen extensive damage to religious sites. Reports by the Gaza Ministry of Awqaf state that over 960 mosques have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict.
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Humanitarian and cultural agencies have warned that deliberate attacks on places of worship constitute violations under international law. A UN commission described strikes on mosques and schools sheltering civilians as “‘extermination’ in attacks on religious sites.”
More than 67,000 Palestinians were killed during the two years of Israeli aggression on Gaza which started on October 7, 2023.
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