Eid al-Adha in Gaza: A Day of Grief and Danger Amidst Islam’s Holiest Celebrations

Under the damaged dome of the al-Albani Mosque in Khan Younis, families gathered, some barefoot and standing on broken stones and dust. They raised their voices in takbir, signifying the first morning of Eid al-Adha. Traditionally, this holiest of Muslim holidays is marked by communal worship, the sacrifice of lambs, and shared meals. Families would typically enjoy dishes made from freshly slaughtered meat, but this year, the scene was starkly different.

In Khan Younis, there was no festive feast to celebrate. Instead, the atmosphere was heavy with grief and loss. As Eftarag Abou Sabaa expressed, “We don’t eat meat, we don’t eat liver, we are not happy… We sacrifice the blood of martyrs instead.” The communities moved with solemnity to visit cemeteries, paying their respects at the graves of loved ones lost to the ongoing conflict, while the sound of Israeli drones hovered ominously overhead. “This is not an Eid of joy; it is an Eid of mourning and death,” stated Ahmed Darwish, displaced from Rafah to west Khan Younis.

Families wept by the graves of relatives whose lives were cut short, and the festivities of Eid were overshadowed by sorrow. Reda Abdel Rahim Eljara recounted the tragic loss of multiple family members, including her son, who had recently married just three months prior. The airstrikes did not cease even on the second day of Eid al-Adha, further claiming lives in Gaza. Many who remained, like 14-year-old Thaer al-Salmi, found solace in prayer.

“I hope this war ends, and that next Eid will be a real celebration without war,” he hoped, embodying the longing for a return to joy amidst such devastation.