Gaza Palestinians Mark Eid al-Fitr Amid Devastation

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip gathered for Eid al-Fitr prayers on Friday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan with a mix of cautious joy and profound grief, the first such observance in nearly two years without the constant backdrop of intense Israeli airstrikes. In Gaza City and other areas, thousands assembled in streets, open spaces, and makeshift tents amid the ruins of destroyed homes and mosques, listening to sermons under a fragile ceasefire that has held since October.

The holiday, which celebrates the breaking of the daily fasts observed during Ramadan, brought glimpses of normalcy to a population battered by over two years of conflict that began in October 2023. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and 171,000 injured since the war's onset. Families dressed children in colorful new clothes and posed for selfies, while Hamas police patrolled streets to maintain order and greet holiday celebrants. In displacement camps and damaged neighborhoods, volunteers distributed sweets and toys, and small groups of women prepared traditional cookies like maamoul and kaak using wood fires due to shortages of cooking gas.