Taraweeh prayers held on ruins of Gaza's mosques for Ramadan's first night

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip performed the first Taraweeh prayers of Ramadan amid the rubble of destroyed mosques and inside makeshift tents, amid the widespread destruction left by more than two years of an Israeli genocide.

The prayers coincided with Palestinian worshippers performing Taraweeh at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, after the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Muhammad Hussein, announced that Wednesday, 18 February, would mark the first day of Ramadan.

Amid dire humanitarian conditions and extensive destruction, the holy month arrived for Gaza's battered residents following the recent Israeli war, with numerous violations reported since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025.

Today's Ramadan will be the first to pass in Gaza after a pause in Israel's extermination campaign, following two years of war, acute hunger, and a severe humanitarian crisis, which prompted the United Nations to declare famine in Gaza City in the northern part of the Strip.

Many residents were unable to secure sufficient food for iftar or suhoor.

Among the rubble of Gaza's mosques, Palestinians erected prayer sites in tents made of nylon and wood after Israel targeted more than 1,015 mosques throughout the past two years.

The prayers took place while Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew overhead, disturbing the calm. Worshippers nonetheless directed prayers and supplications to God for "relief from suffering, an end to hardship, and improved conditions for residents of the Strip," according to Anadolu Agency.

Government media in Gaza reported that during the two years of extermination, Israel destroyed more than 835 mosques and partially damaged over 180 others.

Since the ceasefire, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and residents have erected nylon-and-wood tents atop the destroyed mosques, transforming them into prayer spaces.

Return to Al-Omari Grand Mosque

At the Al-Omari Grand Mosque in Gaza City, targeted by Israeli forces during the campaign, Palestinians performed Taraweeh after covering damaged sections with pieces of nylon and wood.

Al-Omari is one of Gaza's largest and oldest mosques, ranking as the third largest in Palestine after Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre (occupied Palestinian territories, 1948), with the Mahmoudiya Mosque in Jaffa (48 territories) comparable in size.

Construction began more than 1,400 years ago in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza's old city and passed through six phases of architectural transformation.

During the last war, the mosque was nearly destroyed by Israeli bombardment.

Muawiya Kashko, a worshipper from Gaza's Zeitoun neighbourhood, told Anadolu Agency that despite the destruction of the historic mosque, Palestinians still chose it for prayer, recalling the hardships endured during the Israeli extermination campaign.

"We were dying every day," Kashko said.

Abu Abdullah Khalaf told Anadolu Agency that prayers were performed today at Al-Omari Mosque, which was nearly fully destroyed by Israeli forces, noting that part of the mosque had been rebuilt to allow worshippers to pray.

Prayers had returned to the mosque in recent months, but only on a very limited basis due to extensive damage.

Harsh conditions persist

Sheikh Rami Al-Jarousha, imam of the destroyed Al-Amin Mosque west of Gaza City, told Anadolu Agency that "this year Ramadan carries a different character," emphasising that Palestinians face extremely difficult circumstances due to the ongoing blockade and war aftermath.

He expressed hope that God would bless the Palestinian people with security and stability and affirmed that worship would continue atop the ruins of destroyed mosques, calling it a challenge and insisting that prayers would be held everywhere, even in open spaces.

"Ramadan this year felt different after losing both my sons and grandchildren months ago. They accompanied me every year for prayers, especially Taraweeh and Fajr," Sheikh Ramiz Al-Mashharawi said.

Despite feeling alone, he told Anadolu Agency that he continues to pray in a temporary mosque erected atop the ruins of the Al-Kanz Mosque, which was destroyed in Gaza's western Al-Rimal neighbourhood, until the mosque can be rebuilt.

A muted joy

Following the announcement of the start of Ramadan, a "muted joy" was observed among Gaza residents. Harsh living conditions and repeated Israeli ceasefire violations have dampened celebrations.

Thousands of Palestinian families continue to mourn the loss of children and loved ones during the extermination campaign.

Despite relative calm, Ramadan in Gaza lacks the rituals and atmosphere Palestinians were accustomed to before the last war, except for a few initiatives to decorate streets and tents to bring some joy to displaced children.

Approximately 1.9 million of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents live in dilapidated tents without necessities.

(Al Araby al-Jadeed and agencies)

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.