Eid al-Adha in Gaza: No Meat, No Joy, Only Survival Under Israeli Blockade

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - With Gaza in ruins due to Israel's genocide and blockade, Palestinian residents struggled to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays, Eid al-Adha, as reported by Arab News.

To commemorate Eid al-Adha (Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice), Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and donate part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity.

They then gather with extended family to eat together and enjoy sweets. Children receive new clothes as gifts.

However, no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months. Israel has blocked the shipment of food and other aid to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attack.

Karima Nejelli, a Palestinian refugee woman from Rafah, said that Gaza residents are now celebrating Eid al-Adha and another Islamic holiday, Eid al-Fitr, each twice during the war.

"During these four Eids, we as Palestinians did not see any kind of joy, no sacrifice, no cookies, no buying Eid clothes or anything," she said.

Almost all local sheep, cows, and goats in the area have died after 20 months of Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks. The remaining small livestock is being sold in emergency pens set up in the large tent camp of Muwasi in the southern part of Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.

However, few can afford to buy them. Some people come just to see the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some children laugh at the animals and recite prayers related to the holiday.

“I can’t even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,” said Abdel Rahman Madi. “The prices are astronomical.”

Eid al-Adha commemorates the test of faith of Prophet Ibrahim and his willingness to sacrifice his son, Prophet Isma'il, as an act of submission to God. It is usually a joyous day for children and a time when businesses benefit from increased spending on food and gifts.

However, the prices of basic goods have surged amid the Israeli blockade, which was only slightly eased two weeks ago. Meat and most fresh fruits and vegetables have vanished from local markets in recent weeks.

In the street market of nearby Khan Younis, some stalls offer toy sheep, holiday trinkets, and old clothing. Yet most visitors leave without buying anything after seeing the high prices.

"Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy … Now with the blockade, there’s no flour, no clothes, no joy," said Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman browsing the market.

Israel’s blockade has nearly destroyed Gaza’s ability to produce its own food.

The UN reports that 96 percent of livestock and 99 percent of poultry have died. More than 95 percent of Gaza’s pre-war agricultural land is now either unusable, heavily damaged, or lies within Israeli military zones, according to a recent FAO land survey.

Israel has barred food and essential supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months, a policy that has drawn widespread international condemnation.

Two weeks ago, Israel slightly eased the blockade to allow limited aid trucks to enter under UN coordination. These trucks have delivered some food, mostly flour.

However, the UN has struggled to distribute much of the aid due to widespread looting and restrictions imposed by the Israeli military.

Nearly the entire population of more than 2 million Palestinians has been displaced from their homes, with many forced to relocate multiple times to escape ongoing Israeli attacks.

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