Gaza Herald- Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Eid al-Adha prayers in temporary prayer areas and open courtyards beside the rubble of destroyed homes and mosques across the Gaza Strip, in scenes overshadowed by devastation and the absence of even the simplest signs of joy or celebration, following a bloody day in which 14 Palestinians were killed in ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Worshippers gathered across different parts of the Strip, holding prayers in open spaces, on the ruins of completely destroyed neighborhoods, and beside shattered mosques. Despite the dangers, Palestinians insisted on observing the Eid prayer, while grief and exhaustion were visible on their faces.
Eid preachers urged people to show solidarity, support one another, and maintain family ties as much as possible while reminding worshippers that the sacrifices endured during the largest genocide of the modern era would not go unanswered by God.
Traditional Eid celebrations were almost entirely absent. Sacrificial animals were unavailable due to Israeli restrictions on their entry into Gaza, worsening economic conditions, and the collapse of supply chains, while food shortages continue to intensify under the ongoing siege and military escalation.
Hunger has once again become one of the defining realities in Gaza, with thousands of families surviving on limited aid that fails to meet even the most basic needs.
Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continued across several areas of Gaza during the first day of Eid, deepening fear among civilians and forcing many families to remain close to displacement sites and temporary shelters.
Witnesses described hearing explosions echoing alongside Eid takbirs, reflecting the painful contrast between acts of worship and the reality of war.
Residents of Gaza continue to endure catastrophic humanitarian conditions that worsen by the day amid collapsing basic services and destroyed infrastructure. At the same time, warnings grow of an even larger humanitarian disaster if the Israeli assault continues without intervention to halt the escalation and secure civilians’ basic needs.
Hamas called on Palestinians to use the Eid holiday as an opportunity to strengthen unity and solidarity and to intensify all forms of support for Palestinians facing ongoing Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, the Government Media Office in Gaza said Israeli forces had committed 3,005 violations of the ceasefire agreement over the 227 days since it came into effect.
According to the office, the violations included bombardments, direct attacks on civilians, the destruction of entire residential blocks, repeated gunfire, and military incursions into residential areas.
The statement said these violations have killed 910 Palestinians, injured 2,747 others, and led to the detention or abduction of 82 civilians by Israeli forces.
The office also reported that only 49,973 aid trucks had entered Gaza, out of the 135,600 trucks that were supposed to enter under the agreement, reflecting a compliance rate of no more than 36 percent.
