Shafaqna English– Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem marked Eid Al-Adha on Friday (06 June 2025) amid continuing Israeli bombardment, military raids, and heavy restrictions.
Eid is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for Palestinians observing their second Eid Al-Adha in war-ravaged Gaza, there’s little to smile about.
Muslims in Gaza mark Eid amid mourning and destruction
As Palestinians in Gaza mark the first day of Eid Al-Adha, Israeli attacks have killed at least 42 people across the enclave since dawn this morning.
Palestinians: The hardest Eid we’ve ever witnessed
“This is the hardest Eid we’ve ever witnessed. People are facing unimaginable economic and humanitarian suffering,” Ibrahim Ahmed, a Gaza resident, told Al Jazeera.
“In past Eids, we prayed in this mosque surrounded by peace and joy. Today, the Mosque is in ruins and we’re praying in the rubble.” One boy, Saeed Nassar, said the circumstances this Eid al-Adha were “heart-breaking”.
“We couldn’t buy clothes, sweets, or an animal to sacrifice. We’re surrounded by destruction,” he said. “This Eid doesn’t feel special like the ones we’re used to.”
Eid Al-Adha grim reminder of loss across Gaza
More casualties are coming and continue to flow to Al-Aqsa Hospital; this is what Eid looks like here in Gaza.
Families who once used to welcome guests into their houses are living in makeshift tents and overcrowded shelters, with a lack of water, cooking supplies, and food.
For children who have lost their parents or their siblings, they no longer feel that this [holiday] is a time of celebration or happiness. It’s a very grim reminder of what they have lost.
Palestinian mothers visit children’s graves on Eid Al-Adha
Umm Ahmad Awida is spending her second Eid al-Adha under Israeli bombs.
“Under bombs, strikes, death, siege, and hunger – every way of torture for human beings,” she says.
Children in Gaza play on Eid Al-Adha amid ruins
Palestinian children play during Eid Al-Adha amid ruins in Gaza City.
Palestinians are praying in the rubble
In past Eids, we prayed in mosques surrounded by peace and joy. Today, the mosques are in ruins, and they are praying in the rubble. In the southern city of Khan Younis, hundreds of worshippers gathered at the ruins of Imam Muhammad Al-Albani Mosque.
As Israeli jets circled low above Khan Younis, residents reported heavy artillery fire targeting central, northern, and eastern parts of the city. Witnesses also described intense gunfire toward residential neighborhoods.
80,000 Palestinians attend Eid Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
Tens of thousands of Palestinians offered Eid Al-Adha prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Friday morning, despite tight Israeli restrictions and a sombre atmosphere driven by the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
According to local estimates, around 80,000 Palestinians gathered at Islam’s third-holiest Mosque, entering and exiting while chanting the traditional Eid Takbirat.
Israeli police forces were heavily deployed in and around the Al-Aqsa compound and the Old City before, during, and after the prayers.
However, many Palestinians from the occupied West Bank were unable to attend the Eid Prayers in Jerusalem due to Israeli restrictions on movement. Many Palestinians barred from entering the Mosque by Israeli orders were spotted praying outside its gates.
Thousands of Palestinians attend Eid Prayers in the occupied West Bank
Thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank marked the first day of Eid Al-Adha on Friday with prayers held in mosques and public squares across the territory despite ongoing Israeli offensives targeting northern refugee camps.
In the Jenin refugee camp, Israeli soldiers barred dozens of families from visiting the camp cemetery to pay respects to their deceased loved ones, according to eyewitnesses speaking to Anadolu.
In Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank, thousands performed Eid prayers at Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Square near the Church of the Nativity, a symbol of interfaith coexistence in the city.
Meanwhile, in the city of Hebron, worshippers gathered at the historic Ibrahimi Mosque under heavy Israeli security restrictions.
Israeli forces raid towns in the occupied West Bank
Separately, Israeli troops stormed the town of Al-Yamoun, west of Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank. Snipers were deployed to rooftops during the operation, Wafa said, but no arrests or injuries were reported.
Israel has carried out an intensified military campaign across the West Bank amid its war on Gaza, while Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have also soared. Thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes amid the violence.
Source: Aljazeera, Middle East Eye, Anadolu Ajansı