Ramadan lanterns and string lights appeared on the rubble-lined streets of Gaza City, bringing joy and respite as Islam's holiest month began for the first time since October's cease-fire.
In the Omari mosque, dozens of worshippers performed the first Ramadan morning prayer, fajr, bare feet on the carpet but donning heavy jackets to stave off the winter cold.
"Despite the occupation, the destruction of mosques and schools, and the demolition of our homes ... we came in spite of these harsh conditions," Abu Adam, a resident of Gaza City who came to pray, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"Even last night, when the area was targeted, we remained determined to head to the mosque to worship God," he said.
A security source in Gaza told AFP Wednesday that artillery shelling targeted the eastern parts of Gaza City that morning.
