'No Eid in Gaza:' Palestinians to mark Eid al-Adha without sacrificial animals

Palestinians in Gaza will mark Eid al‑Adha this week without sacrificial animals for a third consecutive year due to Israeli restrictions, according to Gaza’s agriculture ministry.

Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s two main holidays, is marked by the slaughter of sheep or cattle, with meat shared among families and the poor.

Sitting in a tent in Khan Younis, displaced Palestinian Sonia Abu Taima said her children had not known a happy Eid in years.

"There is no Eid anyway in Gaza. Gaza is deprived of everything," she added.

The ministry said Israel’s military campaign since October 2023 had led to the "systematic destruction of the livestock sector," with farms, barns, veterinary facilities and feed warehouses hit.

Before the war, Gaza imported around 20,000 calves and around 40,000 sheep annually for the Eid season, an official from the agriculture ministry said.

COGAT says it facilitates imports of meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, with nearly 8,000 tons delivered in the past month, though no livestock.

Hamas said aid deliveries had dropped to around a quarter of what was expected so far in May, despite calls from United Nations officials for unhindered access for aid and goods.

COGAT rejected what it called misleading claims of a humanitarian crisis, saying around 600 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, most carrying food in line with U.N. requests.

Production: Ramadan Abed, Bassam Masoud, Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters