Palestinians Mark Ramadan Among Destroyed Mosques in Gaza

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Wednesday in Gaza as Palestinians gathered to pray in the debris of destroyed mosques and temporary shelters. Many worshippers mourned the loss of their sacred spaces while attempting to observe the religious period amid widespread destruction.

The sacred month of Ramadan commenced Wednesday in Gaza, where Palestinian Muslims gathered for prayers among the debris of demolished mosques and in temporary worship spaces constructed from tarps and wooden planks, grieving both their deceased and their destroyed houses of worship.

In Gaza City, what remains of the Al Hassaina mosque tells a story of devastation – its dome now sits atop a mountain of debris. The courtyard that once welcomed worshippers has become a living space for displaced families, with clotheslines strung between the ruins where people now sleep and prepare meals.

Standing amid the wreckage where congregants once prayed side by side, 61-year-old mosque volunteer Sami Al Hissi expressed his anguish. “I can’t bear to look at it,” Al Hissi stated.

“We used to pray comfortably. We used to see our friends, our loved ones. Now there are no loved ones, no friends, and no mosque,” he said.

The scene shows children climbing over fractured domes while women gather laundry hanging between damaged pillars.

Al Hissi recalled how the mosque previously attracted worshippers from neighboring areas like Shejaia and Daraj throughout Ramadan.

“It would be filled with thousands,” he said. “But now, where are they supposed to pray? It’s all rubble and destruction. There’s barely enough space for a hundred people.”

The current conflict began when Israel initiated its military campaign following a Hamas-led assault across the border on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths according to official counts. Palestinian health officials report that Israel’s military response has claimed 72,000 Palestinian lives.

According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza government media office, Israeli forces have completely leveled 835 mosques and caused partial damage to 180 others. The office also reports that Israel has repeatedly attacked churches and demolished 40 out of Gaza’s 60 burial grounds.

Israeli officials maintain they focus on militant infrastructure and claim that Palestinian armed groups use civilian locations, including mosques, for operations – an accusation Hamas rejects.

The destruction represents both spiritual and community losses for residents.

“We wished we could welcome Ramadan in a different atmosphere,” said Khitam Jabr, who has been displaced and now shelters at the mosque.

“We don’t have enough mosques. All of the mosques were destroyed and there’s nowhere to pray. Now we pray in tents, and the mosques became centres for the displaced,” she added.

Despite facing severe material shortages and widespread damage, residents are working to reconstruct small portions of mosques and establish temporary prayer areas using salvaged plastic sheeting and lumber, according to Amir Abu Al-Amrain, who heads the religious affairs ministry in Gaza City.

“Four hundred and thirty prayer areas have been rebuilt, some using plastic sheets from greenhouses, some made of wood, and some constructed with plastic sheets from tents,” he said.