Muslim pilgrims perform Hajj rituals under intense heat as Eid al-Adha celebrations start

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Masses of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia threw pebbles at a large pillar in a symbolic ritual on Wednesday, one of the final days of the Hajj as Muslims around the world started celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Pilgrims in Mina, Saudi Arabia, at the annual Islamic pilgrimage chanted “Allahu akbar,” or God is great, while throwing pebbles in a ritual seen as a symbolic stoning of the devil. The act also is seen as a symbol of rejecting evil and a commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of temptation when the devil tried to dissuade him from submitting to God’s will.

Large crowds of pilgrims moved through the sprawling Jamarat complex after arriving from Muzdalifah, where they collected pebbles overnight following a day of worship and prayer at Arafat on Tuesday.

Pakistani pilgrim Aamar Shakur said he saw the pebble throwing as a symbol of confronting personal struggles in which he was “throwing the stone to my own devil.”

The last days of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia coincide with Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice,” which marks the willingness of Ibrahim, known as Abraham to Christians and Jews, to sacrifice his son. During the holiday, Muslims typically slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute some of the meat to poor people.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able. Performed over several days, the Hajj can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness.

This year, the physically demanding Hajj has been held in intense heat, which appeared to take a toll on some as they moved between holy sites. Medical teams stationed across Mina were seen treating several pilgrims.

Many poured water over their heads and faces to cool themselves under the scorching sun, while others carried umbrellas. Some pushed elderly relatives and loved ones in wheelchairs through the crowds toward the pillars so they could complete the ritual.

More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived from abroad, a Saudi official said Friday.

This year's Hajj takes place against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty throughout the region.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Muslim pilgrims cover their heads to avoid sunlight as they rest while on their way to cast pebbles at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual Hajj, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims shave each other's heads, during a ritual known as "halq," marking the completion of Hajj after the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray after they cast pebbles at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual Hajj, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims leave after casting pebbles at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual Hajj, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A Muslim pilgrim drinks water as pilgrims walk on their way to cast pebbles at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual Hajj, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Wednesday it targeted and killed the new leader of Hamas' military wing during airstrikes in Gaza City less than two weeks after killing his predecessor.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz and the Israeli military said the strikes carried out Tuesday killed Mohammed Odeh. Hamas did not comment on Odeh.

At least five people were killed and 12 injured in Tuesday’s strike on a market including Odeh, his wife, son and daughter and another woman, local hospitals said. The attack came on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday.

Thousands of people gathered Wednesday for the joint funeral of Odeh's family in Gaza City. Mourners covered the four bodies with green Hamas flags and marched from a mosque through the city, chanting and firing shots in the air. Some carried posters with Odeh's poster emblazoned with the words “one of the chiefs of staffs of the Qassam Brigades,” referring to Hamas' military wing.

Katz called him “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered over two years of war in Gaza and said it was the fourth time Israel has killed the head of Hamas’ military wing since that massacre. Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the previous head, was killed on May 16.

“We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre and this is what we will do: they are all bound to die, everywhere,” Katz wrote on X on Wednesday. “We pledged that Hamas will not hold civilian or military rule.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for elections in the fall, also threatened that Israel will target everyone involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The attack came as Muslims prepared for Eid al-Adha, normally a joyous time of family gatherings and large meals.

The holiday once again is subdued this year in Gaza, where the vast majority of people remain displaced and live in tents or temporary shelters after a devastating war. Around 90% of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, according to U.N. estimates, with most of them now sheltering in huge tent camps with rat infestations and pools of sewage. They are dependent on aid to survive.

Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice,” is an Islamic holiday celebrated by millions of Muslims across the globe. The four-day holiday, which begins during the Hajj pilgrimage, also is known for being a joyous occasion during which families gather, and children are given new clothes and gifts.

“This is not Eid ... we’re dead,” said Mahmoud Saqer, a displaced man from Khan Younis, who described people as being distressed by the ongoing human suffering and killings in the territory.

In Khan Younis and Gaza City, amid destroyed buildings, including a ruined mosque, people gathered for Eid prayers with few signs of celebration beyond a few clusters of balloons lining one street. Tahrir al-Khatib said the joy that accompanies Eid has been silenced in Gaza.

“There’s no Eid. My children were killed. Eid is only for the people who lost no one,” said Ayda Al-Banna, a displaced women from Gaza City, who prayed Eid prayers with her granddaughter.

A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October remains fragile. Israeli attacks have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. Israel says its attacks are in response to violations by Hamas or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials say scores of civilians have been among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period in Gaza.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks in October 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled contributed from Cairo.

Palestinians mourn over the body of Mohammad Odeh, whom Israel says was a leader of Hamas Qassam Brigades, a day after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians mourn over the body of Mohammad Odeh, whom Israel says was a leader of Hamas Qassam Brigades, a day after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians take photos with Islamic Jihad militants as they gather for Eid al-Adha prayers in Gaza City Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Muslims worshipers gather for Eid al-Adha prayers in Gaza City Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Muslims worshipers offer Eid al-Adha prayers in Gaza City Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)