Mothers Day in Gaza Observed with Mourning and Grief

Gaza City Residents Mark Mother’s Day Amidst Grief and Hardship

In Gaza City, residents observed Mother’s Day on Saturday amidst a backdrop of grief and hardship. The occasion served as a poignant reminder of lives lost in the ongoing conflict.

Em Rami Dawwas sat in her tent, surrounded by boxes filled with belongings of her three sons who were killed in Israeli attacks. Two of their bodies remain unaccounted for due to government withholding. Dawwas expressed her longing on Mother’s Day, recalling how her sons used to bring her gifts and ask about her needs.

In a separate scene, 14-year-old Maram Ahmed sat alone in her sparse tent, reflecting on the second Mother’s Day without her mother, who was killed in an Israeli air attack that claimed the lives of her entire family. Ahmed remembered purchasing small gifts for her mother from her allowance, even when it was just a dollar.

A recent report by Amnesty International highlighted the “brutal price” women and girls have paid during the conflict, which began in October 2023. The report noted the dire consequences faced by Palestinian women, including mass displacement, collapsed healthcare services, and heightened exposure to disease.

According to recent figures from the Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks have killed over 650 Palestinians since the October 2025 ceasefire, with many being women and children. Since the start of the war, Israeli attacks have resulted in more than 72,000 fatalities.

In Gaza City, residents observed Mother’s Day with somberness, sitting in graveyards to pay their respects to loved ones who have passed away. The day served as a painful reminder of the ongoing hardship faced by Palestinian families.

Source: Al Jazeera