Gaza: Palestinians gathered at the graves of those lost in recent conflicts, offering prayers amidst the ruins of a mosque and the rubble-strewn streets, a somber backdrop to the typically joyous Eid al-Fitr celebration.
As Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid, marking the conclusion of Ramadan with joyous festivities and family reunions, the people of Gaza find little comfort during this sacred occasion. Engulfed in six months of conflict, they are preoccupied with enduring air raids, artillery fire, ground incursions, and a deepening humanitarian plight.
With homes reduced to debris, nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face displacement. The destruction of medical facilities, the scarcity of medical supplies, and the looming threat of famine compound their struggle for survival.
Photographs taken in the lead-up to Eid poignantly depict the harsh reality: a landscape marred by destruction, a people clinging to hope, and the resilient Palestinian spirit striving to persevere amid a relentless siege that steadily diminishes their ranks.
] A drone view shows Palestinians holding Eid al-Fitr prayers by the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Shadi TabatibiA drone view shows Palestinians holding Eid al-Fitr prayers by the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Shadi TabatibiA drone view shows Palestinians holding Eid al-Fitr prayers by the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Shadi TabatibiPalestinian women visit graves of people who were killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, on the day of Eid al-Fitr, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPalestinian women visit graves of people who were killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, on the day of Eid al-Fitr, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Purchase Licensing RightsA drone view shows Palestinians holding Eid al-Fitr prayers by the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Shadi Tabatibi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYA drone view shows Palestinians holding Eid al-Fitr prayers by the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Shadi TabatibiA displaced Palestinian family makes traditional cakes as they prepare for the Eidul Fitr holiday at a tent camp in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 8. — ReutersPalestinians shop as they prepare for the upcoming holiday of Eidul Fitr in northern Gaza Strip, April 9. — ReutersPalestinians shop as they prepare for the upcoming holiday of Eidul Fitr in northern Gaza Strip, April 9. — ReutersPalestinians distribute aid amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at a shelter centre in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 7. — ReutersA Palestinian holds a squeegee as a child walks by, before Eidul Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramazan, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 8. — ReutersChildren help military personnel pack clothes aid scheduled to be airdropped over Gaza, ahead of the Muslim celebration of Eidul Fitr, in Zarqa, Jordan April 7. — Reuters