"Eid al-Fitr is meant to bring release. It comes at the end of Ramadan, after a month of fasting and prayer, and in Gaza it has always carried its own kind of joy."
"This year, the rituals remained. The feeling had gone. Sorrow seemed to stand among us. People said Eid Mubarak, but the words landed differently, as if everyone knew they were speaking across a vast field of absence."
"On Eid, families are meant to gather around those they love. In Gaza this year, absences seemed to occupy more space than the living."
Eid al-Fitr traditionally brings joy and community togetherness in Gaza, marked by prayers, family visits, and shared meals. This year, however, the atmosphere was heavy with grief. Families gathered, but the absence of loved ones loomed large. Rituals continued, yet the joy was diminished. Streets were filled with people, but the celebrations felt more like a procession through loss. Many families faced the harsh reality of displacement and loss, with homes destroyed and loved ones gone, making the day a poignant reminder of what was lost.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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