​Eid al-Adha in Gaza: Pictures of grief and hope

Palestinians in Gaza came together to worship in the backdrop of destruction and war, that was initiated on this scale since the events of October 7, 2023. A little girl stands among a crowd of Palestinians in prayer for Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of Sacrifice.” (Picture credit: AP)

18-year-old Mohammed Salem, Palestinian clown, danced with a girl during his performance in a street in Gaza. The clowns become a source of laughter, entertainment and joy for the children on the strip. (Picture credit: AP)

In southern Gaza strip, displaced children play on swings at a tent camp during Eid al-Adha. Khan Yunis provides makeshift shelters to displaced Palestinians. It symbolizes the sentiment that joy is a form of resistance for Palestinians. (Picture credit: AP)

Palestinian clowns become a symbol of joy for the children in Gaza, who gathered on the streets to watch them perform. It is a momentary respite from the realities of war that has been ravaging the region for years. (Picture credit: AP)

Many marked the day as one of remembrance. On the first day of Eid al-Adha, Palestinians visit the graves of their loved ones and relatives at a cemetery in Gaza. Videos circulating online show them distraught and in tears while they remember the ones they have loved and lost. (Photo credit: AP)

A Palestinian father played with little daughter outside their makeshift tent camp for displaced demographics, at Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip. The camps lack adequate, comfortable infrastructure and are plagued by overcrowding. The picture shows Abdullah Al-Hurkali with his daughter, Tasneem. (Picture credit: AP)

Eid al-Adha prayers were being offered beside the ruins of a mosque. In Khan Younis of southern Gaza, many a mosques have been turned into rubble from heavy bombardment. The strikes continue to destroy and alter the trajectory of the lives of its people. (Picture credit: AP)