GAZA CITY: A CRISIS-RIDDEN HOLIDAY
Residents of Gaza mourningly celebrate Eid al-Adha amidst family famine and deadly clashes
As Palestinians in the war-scarred Gaza prepare for Eid al-Adha, they face hunger and violence under a shadow of despair. The brutal reality has intensified with the delay in aid operations by a US- and Israel-backed group, pushing them into their fourth religious festival since the conflict began in October 2023.
Under harsher conditions than ever, Gazans observe the festivities amidst the terrifying grip of hunger.
Though Israel claimed to allow aid post the 11-week-long blockade, the newly established mechanism largely failed to deliver, with over 100 lives lost to Israeli army fire during chaotic aid deliveries.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) postponed its restart, citing the Israeli military declaring the roads leading to its centers as "active combat zones." The decision follows a series of incidences near GHF sites that sparked UN criticism.
Israel's military offensive on June 4 claimed at least 48 lives across Gaza, including 14 in a single strike on a tent sheltering displaced people.
Food scarcity in Gaza has sparked fresh calls for an end to the conflict. Nevertheless, a truce between Israel and Hamas remains elusive.
The US, Israel's staunch ally, blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access, mistaking the situation as an opportunity to further destroy Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
"Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, commending the move.
U.N. Security Council members criticized this move, expressing their concerns about the humanitarian crisis and its consequences on the region.
The veto drew criticisms from Palestinians and U.N. members, who termed it a "disgraceful" act that "legitimizes genocide" in Gaza.
Contextual Insights:
The conflict in Gaza has plunged the population into a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 2 million people at stake. Famine is a credible threat, with nearly half a million people facing a catastrophic level of hunger and starvation. This grim situation has led to the death of over 54,607 Palestinians since October 2023.
The health impacts of such prolonged conflict include severe malnutrition, with 57 child deaths reported in early May 2025 as a result. Opposing the US-backed aid mechanism, the director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation resigned due to concerns about violations of humanitarian principles. This decision further aggravated the humanitarian challenges in the region.
The ongoing war-and-conflicts in Gaza, as seen in the 11-week-long blockade and recent military offensives, have escalated political tensions, with the US blocking a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access. This politics, in turn, exacerbates the general-news of the severe humanitarian crisis, where Palestinians are faced with famine and Food scarcity, leading to the death of thousands and severe malnutrition among children.
