Eid al-Adha preparations in Gaza spoiled by Israeli blockade

Ashraf Shannon
Press TV, Gaza

People in the besieged Gaza Strip are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, which is one of the most important Muslim-calendar events, amid dire humanitarian and economic conditions. 

The occasion comes at the end of the Hajj Pilgrimage that takes place in the holy city of Mecca in present day Saudi Arabia.

People traditionally head to markets several days before the Eid to buy gifts, sweets and new clothes for their families but Gazans who are impoverished cannot afford such a luxury.

On this holy occasion, Muslims around the world also buy animals like sheep for sacrifice to distribute the meat to the needy.

As they make preparations for the holiday, Palestinians in the tiny seaside sliver say Eid-al-Adha will likely fall short of a full celebration.

People are seen scouring the markets for hours to try and find bargains and affordable gifts for their loved ones.

Usually during major holidays, like Eid al-Adha, sales are high in the markets around the world, but in Gaza shop owners complain of lack of sales.

To make things even worse, some sixty thousand Palestinian public sector employees in Gaza who had their salaries slashed by the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority in 2017, hardly have any money to live on.

People in Gaza have been marking Eid al-Adha under harsh conditions imposed by the Israeli regime since 2007.

Around two million Palestinians in Gaza will mark another Eid al-Adha holiday under difficult conditions due to the Israeli blockade. Like previous years, the festivity is once again marred by rampant poverty and unemployment.

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