October 19, 2025 | 01:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thousands of worshipers filled several mosques in the Gaza Strip to perform the Friday Prayers on October 17, 2025. Some mosques are still intact, but many have been damaged due to Israeli attacks.
For the first time in several months, the call to prayer, or Adhan, echoed through the loudspeakers. The call resounded in the mosques at almost the same time on Friday, a week after the ceasefire took place in the coastal area of Palestine, which is inhabited by devout Muslim residents.
To be united for prayer again “is an indescribable feeling after two years of privation," Ghalid al-Nimra at the Sayed Hachem mosque in Gaza City said as reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Sayed Hachem, one of the oldest mosques in the largest city in Gaza, miraculously survived most of the airstrikes and the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. While witnessing hundreds of worshipers, Nimra was touched to see a large congregation gathered for the first time since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, 2023.
As the prayer was recited at 12:30 p.m., many people hurriedly passed through the gates of the Ottoman-era building. Old and young, many with solemn faces, prayed together inside, where even the pulpit, the elevated place for the imam, appeared intact. According to the Hamas media office in the Palestinian territory, out of 1,244 mosques in Gaza, 1,160 were partially or completely destroyed.
Some worshipers expressed confusion. "I feel like my soul is getting lost amid all this destruction," said Abu Mahmud Salha. The 52-year-old man from northern Gaza is still living in a displacement camp in Al-Mawasi, at the other end of the Gaza Strip.
"We pray inside the tent, I miss group prayer and the imam’s voice," he said. "When I hear the prayer call echoing on loudspeakers from recordings, I feel like a part of our lives was broken."
Mosques in his neighborhood, al-Falluja, were destroyed, so he has been forced to pray on the street.
On Fridays, most people still maintain the habits they have developed over the past several months. Some lay their prayer rugs on the streets, on rubble, or in mosques with crumbling walls. Others bow down near rows of tents that house thousands of displaced Palestinian residents in Gaza, living in difficult conditions.
"Every Friday, we try to gather on a small patch of land under the sky, to pray," said Moataz Abu Sharbi. "Sometimes we pray on sand or on pieces of cardboard, which is very difficult psychologically," said the 27-year-old man.
"The mosque was a pillar of life in our neighborhoods and a precious part of our religious traditions," said Abu Sharbi, who has been displaced to the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. "Losing both one’s home and one’s spiritual refuge — that’s the hardest part," added Abu Sharbi.
Editor’s Choice: Hamas Seeks Heavy Equipment to Search for Hostages Trapped Under Rubble
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Ceasefire, Qatar Says
1 jam lalu
Pakistan and Taliban officials held negotiations in Qatar to defuse tensions between the two countries after cross-border militancy killed dozens.
Hamas Seeks Heavy Equipment to Search for Hostages Trapped Under Rubble
19 jam lalu
Hamas has handed over the remains of an Israeli captive found in Gaza and urged mediators to pressure Israel to reopen border crossings for aid.
What Role for Arab Powers in Shaping Post-War Gaza?
1 hari lalu
Egypt and Qatar remain central to shaping Gaza's post-war future. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been outspoken in calling for the disarmament of Hamas
US, France, and UK Draft UN Plan for International Force in Gaza
1 hari lalu
The United States, the United Kingdom, and France are finalizing a UN Security Council resolution that will serve as the basis for forming an international force in Gaza.
Palestinian Govt Unveils US$67 Billion Gaza Reconstruction Plan
1 hari lalu
According to the Palestinian government, the reconstruction of Gaza requires around $67 billion and will take place in three phases over five years.
WHO Warns Infectious Diseases Spreading Out of Control in Gaza
1 hari lalu
The WHO stated that Israel's genocide in Gaza has left only 13 of the original 36 hospitals functioning.
Australia Open to Peace Mission Cooperation with Indonesia in Gaza
1 hari lalu
Head of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) responded to questions about President Prabowo's commitment to deploy 20,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza.
Trump Threatens to Eliminate Hamas if Gaza Violence Continues
1 hari lalu
United States President Donald Trump threatens to destroy Hamas if the violence in Gaza does not stop.
US Denies Israeli Claims That Hamas Complicated Hostage Return
1 hari lalu
The United States is denying Israeli claims that Hamas violated the ceasefire by failing to return all deceased hostages, the BBC reported.
Israel Violates Truce, Only 480 Aid Trucks Enter Gaza
2 hari lalu
The Gaza Government Media Office stated on Thursday that a total of 653 aid trucks had been allowed into the area since the truce deal took effect.
