250 Palestinian couples tie the knot amid Gaza’s ruins

Gaza Strip: Amid the devastation left by Israel’s military campaign, 250 Palestinian couples celebrated their weddings in Gaza on Friday, November 6, in a ceremony organised to help young people start their married lives despite the hardships facing the territory.

The event, held at the Sea Club on Gaza City’s seafront, was organised under the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 humanitarian initiative.

The wedding procession travelled along Gaza City’s coastal road in vehicles decorated with flowers, red ribbons and Palestinian flags. The convoy passed damaged buildings and makeshift shelters where displaced families have sought refuge.

The grooms wore dark formal suits, many draping traditional black-and-white keffiyeh scarves over their shoulders. The brides appeared in white wedding gowns featuring colourful Palestinian embroidery, with decorative headpieces and bouquets completing their attire.

Known as ‘Dress of Joy 3’, the initiative was organised by the UAE’s Al-Faris Al-Shahm 3 Operation Support Committee, with support from the Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation.

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Organisers said the programme aimed to ease the financial burden of marriage for young Palestinians struggling with the economic consequences of the war. The initiative received 11,622 applications, with 250 couples selected through a lottery.

One of the selected grooms, Said al-Najjar, said his family’s home had been destroyed in Israeli bombardment, forcing them to live in a tent near the Yellow Line in Jabalia refugee camp.

“This joy is not only that of one groom or 250 grooms, but the joy of all the people of Gaza,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Najjar said he had no alternative shelter after losing his family home, highlighting the challenges faced by Palestinians attempting to rebuild their lives.

Reacting to the event, UAE diplomatic adviser to the President Dr Anwar Gargash said on Saturday that Gaza and its residents remained central to the country’s humanitarian efforts despite other crises around the world.

He said the initiative demonstrated that humanitarian assistance extended beyond providing essential relief to restoring happiness and hope for a better future.

Gargash described the UAE’s humanitarian commitment as a longstanding principle that remained unaffected by changing international priorities or media attention.

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