Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank are observing a somber Eid al-Adha as the Israeli military continues its deadly assaults, more than eight months into the ongoing war. In the besieged enclave, where over 37,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, communities gathered amidst the rubble of their neighborhoods to pray on this significant day.
Reports indicate that while the Israeli military aggressively targets western areas of Rafah and escalates its ground invasion of the southernmost city, central Gaza is also under fire. Reporters highlighted the dire conditions:
“Those attacks have pushed people into further internal displacement; in the northern part of the Strip, people are not only struggling to deal with unpredictable falling bombs and attacks on their homes … but also the spread of dehydration and hunger.”
On this first day of Eid, the situation is particularly grim for many families.
“Palestinians are trying to do their best, despite Israel’s ongoing aggression, to bring happiness to young children, as many of them will wake up today and celebrate Eid without their parents,”
In addition to the ongoing violence, the Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Israel is preventing the entry of sacrificial animals into the enclave, hindering traditional rituals associated with Eid al-Adha. Meanwhile, the Israeli army declared a “local, tactical pause” of military activity along specific routes during the day to ostensibly allow for more aid to enter Gaza. However, they stressed that hostilities would continue unabated in the southern regions, a move that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized as “delusional.”
In Jerusalem, the situation for Palestinians attempting to mark Eid al-Adha at Al-Aqsa Mosque was equally tense. Israeli forces imposed tight restrictions, allowing only about 40,000 worshippers inside the mosque, while many were forced to pray outside the gates due to denied entry. Additionally, there were reports of Israeli forces disrupting movement in several areas across Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, setting up checkpoints and halting vehicles.
The broader implications of the conflict were echoed by two senior United Nations officials in Lebanon, who warned of a “very real” threat of miscalculation leading to wider conflict as violence escalates along the Israel-Hezbollah border.
“As communities in Lebanon and around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, the UN family reiterates its call for all actors along the Blue Line to put down their weapons and commit to a path of peace,”
they stated.