Only a few years ago, Abu Mohammed Saidam would wake before sunrise on the first day of Eid al-Adha and head with his children to the livestock markets east of Gaza City .
The family treated the annual ritual of choosing a sheep as a celebration in itself. His children would crowd around the animal on the journey home, laughing and arguing over its name before the slaughter took place later in the day.
Like many families in Gaza , Saidam considered the sacrifice both a religious duty and a social tradition. Large portions of the meat were distributed among neighbours, relatives, and poorer families in the area.
Now, the ritual feels impossibly distant. "Unfortunately, Eid has been stripped of almost everything that once gave us meaning," the 55-year-old father of eight told The New Arab .
Instead of discussing which sheep to buy, his children now ask whether aid groups will distribute meat at all.
"We used to sacrifice every year, even during previous wars and economic crises […] Today, we are waiting for someone to hand us a small portion of meat. I never imagined Eid would come, and I wouldn't even be able to buy one kilo for my children," he said.
Around him, rows of tents stretch across muddy ground where thousands of displaced Palestinians are living after more than two years of war, repeated evacuations, and economic collapse. Conversations about Eid no longer revolve around visits, clothes, or preparations for slaughter.
"People aren't asking about sacrifices anymore. They are asking where they can find food," he added.
As Eid al-Adha approaches, Gaza's once-crowded livestock markets have largely disappeared. The few makeshift markets that remain are filled with thin sheep standing beside traders who know most residents cannot afford to buy them.
The destruction of farms, shortages of feed and veterinary medicine, and Israeli restrictions on the entry of livestock have devastated Gaza's agricultural sector.
According to Gaza's Ministry of Agriculture, the enclave previously imported between 10,000 and 20,000 calves and up to 40,000 sheep annually ahead of Eid. This year, only very limited numbers are available.
In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, livestock trader Noaman Abu Mhadi told TNA that "before the war, thousands of animals would enter Gaza before Eid, but now most farms are destroyed, breeders lost their livestock in bombings, and feed is almost impossible to secure."
The price of sheep has soared beyond the reach of most families. Abu Mhadi said that some sheep are being sold for more than $4,000 due to extreme scarcity.
For residents already struggling to secure bread, water, and medicine, buying a sacrificial animal has become unthinkable. Markets without buyers In the destroyed neighbourhoods of Khan Younis, 30-year-old Alaa al-Najjar has spent days moving between markets searching for a sheep he can afford.
Before his father died, he advised his son never to abandon the tradition of sacrifice, regardless of circumstances.
Alaa tried to honour that wish by saving small amounts of money over several months, but the prices now make the idea impossible.
"A sheep that once cost less than $US 400 now costs many times that," he told TNA , saying that "even if I sold everything I own, I still couldn't buy one."
Like many Palestinians in Gaza, his priorities have narrowed to survival.
"My children need food, water, medicine, and shelter," he said. "These are the things we think about now."
For displaced mother Umm Ahmed from Gaza City, the absence of Eid traditions has become especially painful because of her children's questions.
"My children ask me every day if we will eat meat during Eid, while I don't know how to answer them," she told TNA .
"Since the war erupted, we have been living through extremely difficult conditions. In previous years, families could still afford small amounts of meat or chicken to preserve at least part of the holiday atmosphere. Now, even chicken has become inaccessible for many," she said.
"There is no real Eid anymore. Children wear the same clothes for months, and people spend their time searching for water and food or following the news of bombings," she added.
The festive chants and takbeerat that once echoed through Gaza's streets have been replaced by anxiety and exhaustion.
Markets that once overflowed with buyers before Eid are now nearly empty, reflecting the broader collapse of Gaza's economy.
According to local officials, the war has damaged slaughterhouses, veterinary clinics, feed warehouses, and livestock farms across the territory.
The Israeli blockade and restrictions on imports have also caused large numbers of animals to die from hunger and disease.
Many breeders were forced to slaughter or sell remaining livestock early in the war to survive financially.
Relief organisations are attempting to fill part of the gap by distributing frozen meat parcels or arranging sacrifices outside Gaza on behalf of residents inside the enclave. But with widespread poverty and displacement, aid remains far below the scale of need.