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Mass Wedding in Gaza: 54 Couples Celebrate Hope Amid Devastation

A mass wedding in Khan Younis united 54 couples in Gaza, offering a rare public expression of hope after two years of war. Organized by the UAE-supported humanitarian initiative Al Fares Al Shahim, the event provided modest cash and supplies to help newlyweds start their lives. Celebrations were joyful yet tinged with grief and uncertainty, underscoring weddings as acts of cultural resilience and continuity.

04:05 AM, 12/03/2025Society
Mass Wedding in Gaza: 54 Couples Celebrate Hope Amid Devastation

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Dressed in traditional Palestinian fabrics, 27-year-old Eman Hassan Lawwa and Hikmat Lawwa walked hand in hand past ruined buildings in southern Gaza, joining a procession of couples wearing similar attire. They were among 54 couples married in a mass ceremony that offered a rare public moment of hope after two years of conflict and destruction.

The ceremony, held during a fragile ceasefire, was organized and funded by the humanitarian initiative Al Fares Al Shahim, supported by the United Arab Emirates. In addition to the ceremony, participating couples received modest cash grants and basic supplies to help them begin their lives together.

Weddings are central to Palestinian culture but have become uncommon in Gaza since the fighting began. Neighborhoods have been flattened, most of Gaza's roughly 2 million residents have been displaced, and shortages of food, shelter and services persist. Still, families gathered to dance, wave flags and drive through streets lined with collapsed buildings — a visible assertion of resilience.

"Despite everything that has happened, we will begin a new life," said Hikmat Lawwa. "God willing, this will be the end of the war."

For many, the celebration was bittersweet. Eman wore a white dress patterned in red and green and described the event as a small relief from years of hardship, but one marked by grief: she lost her father, mother and other relatives during the conflict. "It’s hard to experience joy after such sorrow," she said. "God willing, we will rebuild brick by brick."

Randa Serhan, a sociology professor who has researched Palestinian weddings, said such ceremonies are acts of cultural continuity and resilience. "With every new wedding is going to come children, and it means that memories and lineages are not going to die," she said. "The couples are going to continue life in an impossible situation."

The procession of cars carrying newlyweds moved through areas of devastation as families danced and music played. Organizers say the event aimed to restore a sense of normalcy and community, even as uncertainty about the future remains for many couples and families in Gaza.

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