The Israeli army continues its attacks on Gaza and imposes restrictions on the Al-Aqsa mosque during the Muslim festival of sacrifice.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank are celebrating a grim Eid al-Adha as the Israeli army continues its deadly attacks more than eight months after the start of the war.
In the besieged enclave, where more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, residents gathered in the rubble of their neighborhoods to pray on Sunday.
This comes as the Israeli army aggressively attacks the western areas of Rafah as it advances with its ground invasion of the southernmost city and strikes areas in central Gaza.
“These attacks have pushed people to move further within the country; In the northern part of the Gaza Strip, people are struggling not only to cope with unpredictable bomb drops and attacks on their homes… but also with the spread of dehydration and hunger,” said Hani Mahmoud of Tel Aviv Tribune, from Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza. .
“This is happening on the first day of Eid, when we are dealing with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families, many of whom are in mourning. »
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, also reporting from Deir el-Balah, said Palestinians were trying to cling to a sense of hope.
“Palestinians are trying to do their best, despite Israel’s continued aggression, to bring happiness to young children, because many of them will wake up today and celebrate Eid without their parents. »
The government media office in Gaza said in a statement Saturday evening that Israel was preventing the entry of sacrificial animals into the enclave from all crossing points, thereby preventing Palestinians from performing sacrificial rituals as part of Eid al-Adha.
The Israeli military announced on Sunday a “local tactical pause” of its military activities along a specific route, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily until further notice, allegedly to allow for the arrival of additional aid to Gaza from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.
However, he stressed that his soldiers would continue to fight in the southern part of the enclave and that there would be “no cessation of hostilities”.
The pause was described as “delusional” by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, especially since 10 Israeli soldiers were killed on Saturday, marking the deadliest day of the war for Israel since January.
Restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque
In Jerusalem, Israeli forces once again cracked down on Palestinians attempting to celebrate Eid al-Adha at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the army imposing strict entry restrictions and assaulting worshipers.
The Wafa news agency reported that some 40,000 people managed to attend prayers inside the mosque, but many were forced to pray outside the mosque gates after being refused entry .
He also reported that Israeli forces disrupted Palestinian movement in several areas of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank by setting up checkpoints and forcing vehicles to stop.
Two senior United Nations officials based in Lebanon have warned of a “very real” threat of miscalculation that could lead to a wider war as the Israeli military and Hezbollah have significantly stepped up their attacks in the fighting border crossings that broke out after the start of the war in Gaza. .
“As communities in Lebanon and around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, the United Nations family reiterates its call for all actors along the Blue Line to lay down their weapons and embark on the path of peace,” the officials said in a joint statement.
