Israel bombards Gaza before Eid al-Adha prayers, killing seven Palestinians
GAZA – Israel has once again bombarded the Gaza Strip on the first day of Eid al-Adha. Seven Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli strikes in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of western Gaza City.
The attack occurred just hours before Eid al-Adha prayers, as Israeli bombings continued across various parts of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that an Israeli airstrike on a house in central Gaza City killed at least four people and injured 15 others. Medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital, cited by WAFA news agency, confirmed a total of seven fatalities and at least 15 injuries.
The report stated that an Israeli warplane fired two missiles at a house near the al-Israa Tower on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, close to the city park in central Gaza.
Previous attacks targeted western Gaza City and eastern Khan Yunis. Israeli fighter jets struck a residential apartment building in western Gaza City, while artillery shells hit Khan Yunis in the east, leaving over ten Palestinians injured.
Gaza’s Health Ministry stated that hospitals received six dead and 34 injured in the previous 24 hours. The statement also noted that victims remain trapped under rubble and in inaccessible streets due to ongoing attacks and worsening ground conditions.
Images from al-Shifa Hospital showed corpses and injured civilians, including children, arriving after the strikes. For many Palestinians in Gaza, Eid al-Fitr has increasingly been associated with loss rather than celebration.
For three consecutive years, Palestinians in Gaza have been unable to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. The traditional Eid al-Adha sacrifice ritual has largely disappeared due to ongoing siege, destruction, and severe shortages.
This year’s Eid prayers were held amidst the ruins of destroyed mosques and in open spaces amid widespread devastation. Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed over 72,000 Palestinians and injured more than 172,000 since October 2023, with approximately 90% of civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed.