For the third consecutive year, residents of Gaza will be unable to perform the traditional Eid al-Adha sacrifice due to a severe shortage of livestock. Once a major livestock producer, Gaza’s farmers and herders have seen their animals decimated by Israeli bombardments and restrictions on the movement of goods and agricultural supplies. Local herders, such as Mazen al-Jerjawi, who once sold hundreds of sheep and goats during the festival season, now rely on imported frozen meat as live animals are no longer allowed into the enclave.

According to Gaza’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, more than 90 percent of the livestock sector has been destroyed or damaged since the war began in October 2023. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported that by November, at least 80 percent of Gaza’s sheep and 70 percent of its goats had been killed. The Ministry of Agriculture said the number of sheep and goats has dropped from 60,000 to just 3,000, with calves and cattle nearly wiped out.

Officials and residents say the crisis has deepened food insecurity for Gaza’s two million people, leaving many families unable to celebrate Eid or even afford daily meals.