Empty Minarets Shadow Ramadan in Gaza as Hundreds of Imams Killed

(MENAFN) Ramadan has descended upon the Gaza Strip this year amid the absence of hundreds of religious leaders, scholars and Quran instructors killed during the Israeli military campaign, leaving mosques in ruins and upending deeply rooted traditions that Palestinians have observed for generations.

The faithful now gather in wooden and plastic tents pitched over or beside the rubble of decimated mosques, or within partially standing structures whose cracked walls bear witness to two years of relentless destruction.

Worshippers speak of a profound void left by the imams who once anchored communal life — leading prayers, delivering Friday sermons and providing religious instruction that wove together the spiritual and social fabric of the enclave.

Gaza's Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs confirmed that Israeli forces killed 312 preachers, imams, religious instructors and Quran teachers over the course of the conflict. Of the Strip's 1,275 mosques, 1,050 were completely destroyed and a further 191 partially damaged.

The broader toll of the war has been catastrophic. More than 72,000 Palestinians — the majority women and children — have been killed, with over 171,000 wounded and approximately 90% of civilian infrastructure damaged, according to Palestinian figures. Despite a ceasefire agreement, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces carried out hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 615 Palestinians and wounding 1,651 others since the truce took hold.

Religious Identity Under Siege
Ismail Al-Thawabteh, director general of Gaza's Government Media Office, said Israel had deliberately targeted "religious and social symbols who played a pivotal role in preaching, guidance, strengthening social peace and reinforcing spiritual values."

"This Ramadan, the Palestinian people are missing dozens of voices that once revived its nights and filled its mosques with reverence and faith," he told media.

Al-Thawabteh further disclosed that 20 members of Gaza's Christian community were also killed after Israel struck Christian houses of worship within the territory. He placed preliminary direct losses to the religious sector at approximately $1 billion, adding that cemeteries had been "bulldozed and targeted."

"Despite the heavy losses, Palestinians continue to perform their prayers and observe their rituals in the remaining mosques or in shelters and tents, affirming their adherence to their right to worship and practice their religious rites guaranteed under international humanitarian law," he said.

The targeting of clergy and religious sites, Al-Thawabteh argued, constitutes "a blatant violation of international law and a direct assault on the special protections afforded to religious sites."

He insisted that Israel's campaign against religious and cultural infrastructure "will not succeed in breaking the will of the people or erasing their civilizational and religious identity."

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