.webp)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Last summer, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip joyfully observed Eid al-Adha with festive family meals, meat shared with the needy, and children delighted by new clothes and gifts.
This year, the landscape is starkly different. After eight months of relentless conflict between Israel and Hamas, many families are left to survive on canned food in sweltering tents. The markets lack meat and livestock, and financial means for holiday treats and gifts have evaporated, replaced by war, hunger, and despair.
“There is no Eid this year,” said Nadia Hamouda, who lost her daughter in the war and has been living in a tent in Deir al-Balah since fleeing her northern Gaza home. “When we hear the call to prayer, we cry over those we lost and the things we lost, and what has happened to us, and how we used to live before.”
Hamouda and her family have been residing in a tent in Deir al-Balah, displaced by the ongoing conflict. Her story reflects a broader tragedy affecting many Palestinians in the region.
Muslims globally will soon observe Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail, a story shared in the Quran. In Jewish and Christian narratives, this event involves Abraham and his other son, Isaac.
Even before the war, Gaza was mired in poverty and isolation, but residents still found ways to celebrate with decorations, gifts for children, and meat shared among families.
“It was a real Eid,” Hamouda recalled. “Everyone was happy, including the children.”
Today, Gaza lies in ruins, with the majority of its 2.3 million residents displaced. Following Hamas’ unexpected attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages, Israel launched a significant military offensive.
The conflict has claimed the lives of over 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It has decimated the region’s agricultural sector and food production, forcing people to rely on humanitarian aid, which has been hampered by Israeli restrictions and ongoing violence.
UN agencies have issued warnings that over a million people, nearly half of Gaza’s population, might face extreme starvation soon.
In May, Egypt closed its Rafah crossing into southern Gaza after Israel seized the Palestinian side, blocking the only exit from the territory. This closure means that few, if any, Palestinians will participate in the annual Hajj pilgrimage preceding Eid.
Ashraf Sahwiel, another displaced resident living in a tent, is uncertain about returning home. “We don’t even know what happened to our houses or whether we’ll be able to live in them again, or if it’s even possible to rebuild,” he said.
Abdelsattar al-Batsh, who has not tasted meat since the conflict began, remarked on the exorbitant cost of meat—200 shekels (about $50) per kilogram—and the price of live sheep, which has soared from $200 to $1,300, if available at all.
“Today, there is only war. No money. No work. Our houses have been destroyed. I have nothing,” al-Batsh lamented.
Iyad al-Bayouk, a cattle farmer in southern Gaza, cited the severe shortages of livestock and feed caused by the blockade, which have significantly increased prices. Some farms have been repurposed as shelters.
Mohammed Abdel Rahim, living in a building on a deserted cattle farm, described the shelter’s poor conditions during the winter, plagued by animal odors and insects. The heat has since dried the ground, making it slightly more bearable.
Abdelkarim Motawq, previously employed in the local meat industry, now finds his family surviving on rice and beans. “I wish I could work again,” he said. “It was a busy season for me, during which I would bring money home and buy food, clothing, nuts, and meat for my children. But today there’s nothing left.”
As Gaza faces another Eid al-Adha amidst the unyielding conflict, the hope and joy that once marked the holiday seem a distant memory, replaced by uncertainty and suffering.
SOURCE: AP
Post a Comment