Israeli forces continue their attacks on Gaza and have imposed restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
More than eight months after the start of the war, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank are celebrating the solemn Eid al-Adha as Israel continues its deadly attacks.
In the besieged settlement, where more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, people gathered in the rubble of their neighborhoods on Sunday to pray.
Israeli forces have advanced on the ground into the southernmost city of Rafah and are aggressively attacking areas west of Rafah while attacking throughout central Gaza.
“These attacks are forcing more people to flee inside their own homes. In the north of the Gaza Strip, people are not only suffering from unexpected bomb falls and attacks on their homes, but also from dehydration and widespread hunger,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Bala in central Gaza.
“This is happening on the first day of Eid, and there are hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families, many of whom are in mourning.”
Al Jazeera’s Tarek Abo Azoum, also reporting from Deir el-Baraf, said Palestinians were trying to hold on to hope.
“Palestinians are trying their best to bring happiness to their children, as many of them will wake up today and celebrate Eid without their parents, despite ongoing Israeli aggression.”
Gaza’s government media office said in a statement late Saturday that Israel was blocking the entry of sacrificial animals into the enclave at all checkpoints to prevent Palestinians from carrying out sacrificial rituals as part of Eid al-Adha.
The Israeli army announced on Sunday that it would impose a “local tactical pause” on military activities along certain routes from 8am to 7pm daily until further notice in order to increase the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.
But he stressed that his troops continued fighting in the southern part of the exclave and that there was “no cessation of hostilities.”
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir slammed the halt in the fighting as “delusional,” especially after 10 Israeli soldiers were killed on Saturday, making it Israel’s deadliest war since January.
Restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque
In Jerusalem, Israeli forces again cracked down on Palestinians trying to celebrate Eid al-Adha at Al-Aqsa Mosque, severely restricting entry and attacking worshippers.
Wafa news agency reported that around 40,000 people were able to attend prayers inside the mosque, but many were forced to pray outside the mosque’s gates after being denied entry.
It was also reported that Israeli forces set up checkpoints in several areas of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and stopped vehicles, hindering the movement of Palestinians.
Two senior UN officials in Lebanon warned that miscalculation could lead to a “very real” wider war as Israel and Hezbollah have significantly stepped up attacks in a border clash that erupted since the start of the Gaza war.
“As communities in Lebanon and around the world celebrate Eid Al-Adha, the UN family reiterates its call on all parties along the Blue Line to lay down their weapons and embark on the path to peace,” the officials said in a joint statement.