Eid al-Fitr marks the end of a month of fasting and daily night prayers – enabling a deep connection with Allah and lifting oneself spiritually. It is also one of the most joyous occasions for Muslims all over the world as families gather to share meals. New clothes are donned, and charity is extended to the less fortunate. It is a time of gratitude, reflection, and celebration. However, for the people of Gaza, this time around, Eid was overshadowed by grief, loss, and unrelenting suffering.
The Agony of Gazans Since October 2023
The Israeli genocidal attack on Gaza since October 2023 has led to Gaza enduring one of the most devastating periods in its history. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 15,000 children. The relentless airstrikes, mass displacement, and siege-like conditions have created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble. Basic infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, lies in ruins. Starvation amid dwindling food supplies and zero access to medical aid has turned Gaza to a huge concentration camp.
The city of Rafah has been the key target of Israeli offensive. It has witnessed forced expulsions and mass killings. Reports indicate that families fleeing one area in search of safety often find themselves in the crosshairs of fresh attacks. The people of Gaza, exhausted yet unyielding, have been fighting not just for survival but also to retain their dignity in the face of relentless oppression.
Eid amidst Death and Destruction
On the morning of Eid al-Fitr, instead of waking up to laughter and festivities, many Gazan families were left mourning their dead. Bombings targeted homes where children had just gone to bed after receiving their Eidi (money gifts). A three-year-old, Abd al-Rahman Miqdad, was among the many innocent lives lost. His uncle, speaking through tears, recalled how he had bought new clothes for the boy just a day before his death.
For many in Gaza, Eid became an extension of the daily horror they have been subjected to for months. “Instead of taking the children to celebrate Eid, we took them to the hospital’s morgue,” said Ahmad al-Qahwagi, who lost two young family members in an airstrike. The missile that struck their home not only shattered their walls but also obliterated the very essence of what Eid symbolises: joy, renewal, and hope.
Women and children, who are often the most vulnerable in times of conflict, bore the brunt of the suffering. Mothers clutched the lifeless bodies of their children, their wails piercing the silence of the destroyed streets.
Children who survived had no playgrounds or Eid fairs to visit, no sweets to savour, and no sense of safety to cherish. “It’s the Eid of sadness,” lamented Adel al-Shaer, whose family was decimated by airstrikes. “We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives, and our futures.”
Prayers among the Rubble: A Message to the World
Despite the carnage, Gazans remained steadfast in their faith. On the morning of Eid, thousands gathered to pray amidst the ruins of demolished mosques. The sight of worshippers bowing in unison, surrounded by the debris of what was once their homes and places of worship, sent a powerful message to the world. It was a declaration that their spirit remained unbroken, that their faith was stronger than the bombs falling upon them.
The resilience of the Palestinian people was echoed across the occupied West Bank, where sermons urged solidarity with Gaza. In Jerusalem, 120,000 worshippers braved Israeli restrictions to perform Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Despite the heavy military presence and the barring of many Palestinians from entering, the gathering stood as a testament to their unyielding commitment to their faith and their homeland.
The Global Response: A Deafening Silence
While millions around the world celebrated Eid in peace, the people of Gaza were left to wonder why their suffering elicited such muted international outrage.
“Where is the world? Where are the free people?” cried Ahmad al-Qahwagi as he mourned the death of his nieces.
The global response to Gaza’s plight has been largely inadequate, with mere condemnations failing to translate into tangible actions to halt the bloodshed. Amid diplomatic manoeuvring and stalled ceasefire negotiations, Arab mediators continue their efforts to restore a truce, but Israel’s indiscriminate bombings persist. The United Nations has described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, yet little has been done to hold those responsible accountable. The massacre of civilians, including emergency responders, has been met with little more than rhetorical disapproval.
The Unyielding Spirit of Gaza
Despite the immense grief, Gazans refuse to succumb to despair. Their prayers amidst the ruins were not just acts of worship but declarations of existence.
“We are still here,” their bowed heads and raised hands seemed to say. “We will not be erased.”
Eid al-Fitr in Gaza was not a celebration in the traditional sense, but it was a reaffirmation of resilience and defiance in the face of oppression. The people of Gaza, through their faith and perseverance, continue to inspire the world with their unwavering spirit. Their Eid, though marred by loss, stands as a powerful reminder that no amount of destruction can crush the will of a people determined to survive. For the global Muslim community, Gaza’s Eid serves as a call to action. It is a reminder that solidarity must transcend words and manifest in tangible support – be it through advocacy, humanitarian aid, or political pressure. In standing with Gaza, the Muslim Ummah upholds the very essence of Eid: a commitment to justice, compassion, and unwavering faith in the face of adversity.
As Gazans endure yet another dark chapter in their history, their spirit remains unbroken, their faith unshaken. They embody the people mentioned in the Hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said, “Nobody who enters Paradise likes to go back to the world even if he got everything on earth, except a Mujahid who wishes to return to the world so that he may be martyred ten times because of the dignity he receives (in Paradise from Allah).”