Mass wedding in Gaza celebrates joy amid the city ruins

Khan Younis: Palestinians gathered in the ruins of southern Gaza to celebrate the mass wedding of more than 50 couples on Tuesday, December 2, a rare moment of hope after two years of devastation, death and conflict.

Weddings are a key part of Palestinian culture but have become rare in Gaza during the war, and a tradition that some couples have been able to restart in the wake of a fragile ceasefire.

Couples walked hand-in-hand past the crumbled buildings of southern Gaza in a line of other couples dressed in exactly the same way.

“Despite everything that has happened, we will begin a new life,” said Hikmat Lawwa, one of the grooms getting ready to marry. “God willing, this will be the end of the war,” he said.

As roaring crowds waved Palestinian flags in the southern city of Khan Younis, the celebrations were dampened by the ongoing crisis across Gaza. Most of Gaza’s 2 million residents, including Eman and Hikmat Lawwa, have been displaced by the war, entire areas of cities have been flattened and aid shortages and outbursts in conflict continue to plague the daily lives of people.

“We want to be happy like the rest of the world. I used to dream of having a home, a job, and being like everyone else,” Hikmat said. “Today, my dream is to find a tent to live in.”

Eman, who was cloaked in a white, red and green traditional dress, said the wedding offered a small moment of relief after years of suffering. But she said it was also marked by the loss of her father, mother, and other family members who were killed during the war.

“It’s hard to experience joy after such sorrow,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “God willing, we will rebuild brick-by-brick.”

The celebration was funded by Al Fares Al Shahim, a humanitarian aid operation backed by the United Arab Emirates. In addition to holding the event, the organization offered couples a small sum of money and other supplies to start their lives together.