- Title: Fear replaces holiday joy in Gaza as fight with Israel escalates
- Date: 13th May 2021
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (MAY 13, 2021) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN MOTHER, THURAYA RAMADAN, 45, SHOWING THE CLOTHES SHE BOUGHT FOR HER CHILDREN TO CELEBRATE EID VARIOUS OF RAMADAN SHOWING EID TREATS VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN BOY, FAISAL RAMADAN, 10, LOOKING AT HIS EID CLOTHES RAMADAN IN ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN BOY, FAISAL RAMADAN,10, SAYING: "I don't feel like I want to celebrate Eid after the house (of our neighbours) was hit, I don't feel like I want to go out and celebrate Eid." CHILDREN IN ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MOTHER, THURAYA RAMADAN, 45, SAYING: "This Eid, we can't feel the celebrations because - as you can see the situation - our neighbours got hit, my neighbour and her daughter (were killed in the conflict), we are close, we are like one family. We are very sad. They (Israeli forces) stole the cheer of Eid from children, we bought them new clothes but they didn't wear them, they are terrified and panicked." VARIOUS OF MEN CHECKING DAMAGED HOUSE AFTER ISRAELI HIT VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAY ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIANS WHO MAKES MONEY FROM OFFERING RIDES TO CHILDREN ON HIS HORSE DURING FESTIVITIES, KHAMEES AL-JABRI, 19, SAYING: "There is no Eid, and there is no work because of war and missiles." BOY ON HORSEBACK VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING
- Embargoed: 27th May 2021 15:38
- Keywords: Eid al-Fitr Gaza Hamas Israel Palestinians conflict escalation
- Location: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- City: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001ECSOMKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Streets across the Gaza enclave during Eid al-Fitr would normally fill up with smartly dressed Palestinians sharing sweets and greetings to mark the start of the Muslim holiday.
"They (Israeli forces) stole the cheer of Eid from children," said 45-year-old Thuraya Ramadan, from Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza, after a heavy night of Israeli airstrikes during the fiercest flare-up in years.
Rockets and missiles in dizzying numbers have been exchanged since Monday between Hamas militants in Gaza and Israel's military across the enclave's boundary, after the latest tensions related to land ownership in Jerusalem erupted into conflict.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a time for celebration with family and friends across the Muslim world after the strictures of daily fasting during the holy month.
In Gaza, a narrow strip of heavily built-up land that is crammed with 2 million people, the usual excitement has turned to mourning for some, with medics putting the death toll in the enclave at 83 so far this week.
Seven people have been killed in Israel, the military says, amid the heaviest exchanges since a war in 2014.
Eid celebrations were also overshadowed in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as inside Israel, where Muslims among Israel's 21% Arab minority, who are Palestinians by heritage and Israeli by citizenship, have joined other Israelis sheltering from rockets fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.
Yet, not everyone in Gaza stayed inside. Khamees al-Jabri, 19, who usually offers rides to children on his horse during festivities, was out in Khan Younis. But he found few customers.
"There is no Eid, and there is no work because of war and missiles," he said, grabbing his horse's rein as he walked away.
Others insisted they would mark the holiday in whatever way they could.
(Production: Bassam Masoud, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
