Israeli air strikes kill nine Palestinians as Gaza prepares for Eid al-Fitr

As the Palestinian people prepared to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip killed at least nine people, including five children. Witnesses told Middle East Eye that the dawn raid occurred while many families were still asleep or preparing for the Eid celebrations. This tragic event cast a somber shadow over what should have been a joyous occasion.

Mohammed Qadi lost his sister, nephew, and two young cousins in the attack. He stated sorrowfully, "We were safely in our home, preparing for Eid, despite the pain, bombs, destruction, death, and displacement." The Qadi family had originally lived in Rafah but were displaced to Khan Younis, hoping to find greater safety there. "Around 1:30 a.m., we were awakened by the sound of explosions, and the whole area was shaking. We saw on social media that the attack had hit my sister, her son, her husband, and my two cousins. I believe the Israelis used a drone to target their tent, and my sister, her son, and my two cousins were martyred."

Qadi's nephew, Mohammed Rashid, was only 10 years old, and his two cousins, Abed and Nour, were just 8 and 12 years old, respectively. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 921 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed its war on Gaza on March 18. Since October 7, 2023, more than 50,000 people have been killed. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in January, Israel has refused to move forward with the second phase of the agreement, claiming its aim is to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages.

Ahmed Kawaja was awakened by the attack, in which his two nieces were killed. He said the girls had been very much looking forward to the holiday. "These children were just preparing for the joy of Eid," he told Middle East Eye. "What was their sin, to be killed? One of the girls was only three years old. What was her sin?" Qadi expressed similar sentiments, saying that the people of Gaza longed for the traditional joy that comes with the end of Ramadan. "The whole world is preparing for celebration and joy, except for us. The Palestinian people, especially the people of Gaza, we are welcoming Eid with shrouds, using them to wrap our children. Instead of dressing them in new Eid clothes like children around the world, we are wrapping them in white shrouds. Until when?"

The victims were buried, their loved ones weeping and praying around them. Sunday marked the second Eid al-Fitr that Palestinians have spent amid the Gaza war. Qadi lamented, "The whole world is preparing for celebration and joy, except for us. The Palestinian people, especially the people of Gaza, we are welcoming Eid with shrouds, using them to wrap our children. Instead of dressing them in new Eid clothes like children around the world, we are wrapping them in white shrouds. Until when?" The ongoing conflict continues to inflict immense suffering on the civilian population.

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