As Gaza marked Eid al-Adha this year, the customary celebrations were overshadowed by severe economic hardship, scarcity of basic goods, and ongoing conflict-related challenges. The Muslim holiday, typically associated with new clothes for children, the sacrifice of sheep, and traditional sweets, was marked by widespread inability among Gazans to afford or access these essentials.

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire implemented in October 2025, Israeli air strikes have persisted intermittently. According to United Nations data, about 80% of buildings in Gaza were damaged during the conflict, leaving much of its 2.1 million population reliant on international aid for daily survival. Israel maintains control over all entry points to the coastal enclave, permitting only limited numbers of aid and private-sector goods to pass through, which humanitarian groups say is insufficient to alleviate soaring prices and shortages.

For many residents, the rising cost of sacrificial animals has made a significant cultural and religious tradition nearly unattainable. Raafat Asaliya, spokesperson for Gaza’s agriculture ministry, explained that sheep and goats, which before the war sold for around 1,000 shekels, now cost between 11,000 and 15,000 shekels due to limited supply, increased breeding and feed costs, transportation difficulties, and the closure of numerous farms. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation reports that only about 15,000 sheep remain in Gaza—a quarter of the pre-war population.

Abu Abdullah Al Mosadar, a 59-year-old former property dealer from central Gaza, described pooling 13,000 shekels (approximately $4,570) with his brother to buy a sheep for this year’s sacrifice, an amount that most Gazans cannot afford. “The truce is a big lie, but in any case, we are trying to create joy for the children,” he said.

Residents expressed shock at the unprecedented price hikes. Ahmed Abu Salem, 50, from Gaza City, said families who used to perform sacrifices annually now struggle even to buy a kilogram of meat. Nadia Abu Shamala, a 40-year-old woman displaced to Deir al-Balah, recounted going to markets only to see prices she cannot afford. “This year, Eid comes with none of the joy we once knew in Gaza because of the effects of the war, the soaring prices, and our inability to provide even the simplest needs for our children,” she said.

Cooking and baking have also been severely impacted by electricity and gas shortages. Abu Ahmed Wafi, displaced in southern Gaza, noted that while markets are stocked with traditional Eid sweets like kaak and maamoul, he and others could no longer prepare them at home due to soaring costs and lack of cooking gas. In Khan Yunis, some families managed to bake maamoul using makeshift clay ovens under shelters fashioned from repurposed humanitarian tarps.

Living conditions remain dire, with many Gazans residing in tents or damaged homes. Shamala, speaking from her tent in Deir al-Balah, expressed exhaustion and a longing for better days ahead: “We are still living in tents with no atmosphere of joy, only worries, fear, and exhaustion, without any of the happiness we once knew.”