Eid al-Fitr Begins; Palestinians Mark Third Consecutive Eid Under Blockade and Strikes

Eid al-Fitr began on March 20, marking the third consecutive year Palestinians in Gaza observed the Islamic festival amid conflict and blockade. Families crowded into displacement shelters with severely limited access to food, medicine, and clean water as the month-long Ramadan fasting period concluded. The October 2025 ceasefire framework remained technically in force but had been violated continuously since its enactment; Al Jazeera had tracked over 2,073 Israeli ceasefire violations through mid-March, with 680+ Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect. Only the Kerem Shalom crossing remained operational for cargo entry, having been briefly reopened for fuel and aid on March 3 after Israel blocked all crossings on February 28. UN OCHA reported 46% of essential medicines were out of stock and 66% of medical consumables depleted. The ICJ's March 22 ruling ordering Israel to ensure basic needs of Gaza's population were met had not yet issued.