Among the rubble of homes and under continuous bombardment, Eid Takbirs sneaked into the Gaza Strip, even though it seemed without pilgrimage or sacrifices, as Gaza receives the Eid al-Adha for the second year in a row under war conditions. However, Gaza insists on living and does not lose hope.
The streets and homes did not decorate as usual, as Gaza in wartime is not the same as before, no more sweets and Eid coffee distributed to well-wishers. Eid comes with sadness, tears in every tent, children abandoned their toys, waiting in lines for food, while muffled Eid Takbirs are heard with trembling voices, overshadowed by the cries of mothers mourning their children who perished in the bloody war.
Eid al-Adha comes again, and Gazans are still deprived of the rituals of pilgrimage or even the sacrifice ceremony. These worship practices and customs are no longer possible in times of war, which have taken away a lot from them and burdened them beyond their capacity.
Citizen Omar Abu Al-Kass from Gaza recounts that he was preparing to perform the pilgrimage last year, but the war broke out, shattering his hopes. He hoped to do it this year, but the situation remains the same, with the war continuing and destroying everything.
Ahmed Abu Haloub, a displaced person from the town of Beit Lahia, considers Gaza residents’ deprivation of performing the pilgrimage a blatant violation of freedom of worship and human rights. He notes the absence of any Eid festivities, with mosques destroyed and most families displaced without homes or even tents.
The war has robbed us of Eid rituals, laments Abu Haloub, feeling sorry for his children whom he cannot feed or fulfill their desires by buying new clothes or toys. The war separated their friends, some displaced, some killed in airstrikes, some lost their parents or families.
As he spoke to “Al-Bayan,” Abu Haloub’s eyes filled with tears and sadness as he looked at his children. He knows that the war has stolen their childhood, and they no longer enjoy the Eid clothes. All they hope for is a meal to ease their hunger.
This is not just the case for Abu Al-Kass and Abu Haloub; this tragic scenario has been repeating for the past four Eids that passed on Gaza during war. Eid comes and goes without joy or cheer, families busy searching for shelter or a meal. There are no longer smells of Eid cakes and sacrifices in Gaza, just the smell of gunpowder.