Gaza struggles to celebrate Eid al-Adha amid war and aid blockade
Palestinians in Gaza face severe challenges as Eid al-Adha begins, with Israel's ongoing 20-month war and a tightened aid blockade making traditional celebrations nearly impossible.
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, typically involves slaughtering sheep or cattle and sharing meat with the poor, followed by large family meals and children receiving new clothes.
However, Gaza has not seen fresh meat imports for three months, and most of its local livestock have perished.
A small number of animals remain at a makeshift pen in al-Mawasi tent camp on Gaza's southern coast, but few can afford to buy them.
Some children gather to watch sheep, goats, a cow, and even a camel, reciting holiday prayers amid the hardship.
'I can't even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,' says Abdel Rahman Madi speaking to the news agency Associated Press. 'The prices are astronomical.'
Nearby in Khan Younis, market stalls display stuffed sheep toys, holiday trinkets, and second-hand clothes. Yet most shoppers walk away empty-handed after seeing the steep costs.
'Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy … Now with the blockade, there's no flour, no clothes, no joy,' says Hala Abu Nqeira speaking to AP. 'We just try to find flour for our children. Every day, we look for it at a fair price, but it's impossible to find.']
A vendor waits for customers at a livestock market ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on June 5, 2025 (AFP)
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