Gaza marks Eid al-Adha amid war damage and shortages

Residents of the Gaza Strip marked the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha on Wednesday amid widespread destruction, severe shortages, and ongoing military strikes, transforming a holiday traditionally centered on celebration and feasting into a somber occasion. The hallmarks of the festival—new clothes for children, sacrificial sheep, and special holiday sweets—were largely unaffordable or unavailable across the war-battered territory.

Despite a ceasefire brokered in October 2025, Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling continued in Gaza during the holiday period. Local medical sources reported that more than a dozen people were killed over a 24-hour span, with strikes reported in areas including the Jabalia refugee camp in the north, Khan Younis in the south, and a residential building in Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood. Israeli officials stated one strike targeted and successfully killed Mohammed Odeh, the new commander of Hamas’s military wing, though the Palestinian movement had not confirmed his death.

The United Nations reports that 80 percent of buildings in Gaza have been damaged and most of the population depends on aid for basic needs. Israel controls all entry points...