SRINAGAR: On what should have been a sacred day of prayer and celebration, Gaza was once again gripped by grief as Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages pounded the besieged enclave on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Adha. At least 42 Palestinians were reported killed in the attacks, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence and health officials, with dozens more injured. Among the dead were women and children, some killed as they gathered for Eid prayers or waited at makeshift aid centres.
The strikes targeted areas across the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip, leaving widespread devastation. Eyewitnesses reported plumes of smoke rising from Khan Younis and Jabalia, where entire neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble. In Rafah, a city near the Egyptian border, eight people were killed and over 60 injured near an aid distribution centre, sites which have repeatedly been targeted in recent weeks.
According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, one of the deadliest incidents occurred when a drone strike hit a mobile phone charging station near displaced persons’ tents in Khan Younis, killing four. In the Al-Mawasi area, two more civilians were killed. In Deir al-Balah and Jabalia, residential buildings were bombed, and rescue workers retrieved bodies from beneath the rubble.
The violence comes as Palestinians in Gaza observe their fourth consecutive Eid under the shadow of war. With mosques destroyed, families gathered on the ruins of their homes to perform Eid prayers. In areas like Khan Younis, residents lamented the loss of both lives and livelihoods. “There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes, no mattresses,” said Kamel Emran. “The conditions are very, very harsh.”
One displaced mother, Tahrir Abu Jazar of Rafah, warmed leftover lentils for her five children in a tent. “There are no Eid celebrations now,” she said, recalling happier times when her children had meat and new clothes for the occasion. “My son went out to celebrate and was scared of the warplane, so he came back.”
The United Nations and multiple humanitarian agencies have warned of famine across Gaza. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that nearly 500,000 people, almost a quarter of the enclave’s population, will face extreme food deprivation by September. “The risk of famine is really touching the whole of the Gaza Strip,” said Rein Paulson, FAO’s director of emergencies and resilience.
Aid efforts remain severely hampered. Israel had blocked humanitarian aid for over two months and only recently allowed limited supplies to enter, but UN agencies say they are unable to distribute it freely due to Israeli military restrictions. Many of the distribution roads remain unsafe, and recent attempts to provide relief have been marred by shootings and overcrowding. Over the past two weeks, hospital officials have reported more than 80 deaths from such incidents.
On Friday, four Israeli soldiers were also killed in Khan Younis when an explosive detonated during a search operation in a Hamas compound, according to military spokesperson Effie Defrin. Another five soldiers were injured, one seriously.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The offensive has left around 90 per cent of Gaza’s two million residents displaced and has flattened entire cities and towns.
For the second consecutive year, Muslims in Gaza have been unable to make the Hajj pilgrimage. But for many, that loss pales in comparison to the pain of losing homes and loved ones. In Gaza City, Sanaa Al-Ghola stood over a grave and prayed for her son, Mohamed, killed in an Israeli strike while fetching flour for his family. “There is no more Eid after you’re gone, my son,” she wept.
As the Muslim world celebrates Eid, Gaza remains an open wound—its people caught in a cycle of destruction, displacement, and despair. The international community continues to call for a ceasefire, but on the ground, hope is in short supply, and for many Gazans, this Eid is only another day of mourning.
