This year, the shadow of continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip looms large over Palestinians as they prepare for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, despite the UN Security Council’s demand for an immediate ceasefire and the International Court of Justice’s order for Israel to allow humanitarian relief and prevent genocide, has placed a pall over Eid celebrations.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed about 33,360 people and wounded 75,993 others, according to Palestinian authorities, has taken a massive toll on the holiday spirit.
Despite the devastation, a large number of Palestinians who have been displaced and lost their homes and loved ones as a result of the six-month-long war went shopping for Eid al-Fitr.
Thousands of Palestinians throng the markets in some parts of Gaza to try to experience the joy of Eid despite the ongoing war.