Displaced families in Gaza marked Eid al‑Fitr by teaching their children to craft ornaments from recycled rubble, in an attempt to bring moments of joy to them amid the hardships of life in the war-ravaged enclave.
Eid al-Fitr is an important holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide and marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The adults organizing this improvised celebration say they want to ease the psychological strain and bring warmth to an environment stripped of stability with creativity.
"I generally love the idea of recycling and I recycle everything, like snack bags, papers, and aid carton boxes. The idea came to me because Eid is approaching, and with limited resources, I can't afford to buy anything. So, I wanted to create something from the available materials. With Eid approaching, we must bring joy to the children. That's why I recycled the things around me to bring happiness to the little ones and to decorate the tent we live in. Of course, my heart isn't generally happy. Yes, it's Eid, but, thank God, I'm trying to cope for the sake of the children. We, as adults, wanted to celebrate Ramadan and Eid. It was from this principle, and from the principle of bringing joy to our children, that I made this decision," said Reham Sharab, a displaced woman from Khan Younis.
"Before the war, we used to buy things ready-made, but after the war, the crossings were closed. So we had to invent something ourselves to bring joy to the children. Because today, the children have nothing to play with—no dolls or toys, nothing. Everything is gone," said Rakan Abdel Fattah, a displaced child from the Gaza Strip.
"The crossings are closed, so we started collecting soda cans and papers, and made lanterns out of them. Every time the crossings are closed, the pressure on us increases, and as soon as the merchants hear that the crossings are closed, the prices go up. So we started making lanterns ourselves to bring some joy and make the tent look nicer. As you can see now, all the materials we use to make lanterns are just scraps which we collect from the ground," said Hussein Abdel Fattah, another displaced child.
Palestinian medical officials say the war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, has killed more than 72,000 people, wounded tens of thousands and caused widespread destruction of homes, schools, hospitals and businesses.
Yet amid the devastation, the handmade Eid decorations offered by Gaza's children remain a poignant reminder of resilience and the enduring human need for joy.
Children in Gaza craft Eid decorations from scraps amid war's devastation
