Palestinians in Gaza City gather for Friday prayers at heavily damaged Great Omari Mosque

Описание: (6 Mar 2026)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gaza City, Gaza Strip - 6 March 2026
1. Various of destroyed minaret seen through hole in the wall of Omari Mosque
2. Exterior shots of Omari Mosque
3. Various of destruction in Omari Mosque
4. Various of worshippers listening to the Friday sermon
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Osama al-Khozondar, from Gaza City:
"Mosques in Gaza City and the entire north are completely destroyed, but the remaining mosques are simply [intact]. However, some good people tried to find solutions to create prayer areas, and they collected donations and created prayers areas that are good enough [for praying] somehow but not entirely [purposeful], but it's way better than before.”
6. Various of worshippers praying
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fawaz al-Hato, from Gaza City:
"The situation is as best as it could be and we’re fasting during Ramadan with ease compared to Ramadan last year. There were strikes and displacement during Ramadan last year and there were no life necessities and neither food nor drinking water, but now during Ramadan we can go to the mosque and pray Taraweeh and night prayers with ease and we can also visit our families.”
8. Various of worshippers praying inside Omari Mosque
STORYLINE:
Palestinians in Gaza City gathered for Friday prayers at a heavily damaged mosque, with some saying worship during the holy month of Ramadan feels easier than last year despite the widespread destruction of mosques across the northern Gaza Strip.

Scores of people gathered at the Great Omari Mosque, which today stands largely in rubble, like most of Gaza, after being struck by Israel in the two-year war that is currently paused by a fragile ceasefire.

Osama al-Khozondar, one of the worshipers, said mosques in the entire north of the Gaza Strip are destroyed, but residents collected donations to create prayer areas.

Some people on Friday walked past the heavily collapsed Great Omari Mosque that now has a shattered minaret as Friday prayers and the sermon echoed from its loudspeakers, AP footage showed.

Scores of worshippers crammed into a small hall to pray.

Another worshipper, Fawaz al-Hato, said he has been able to observe religious practices during the holy month of Ramadan, unlike last year when Israel’s bombardment of Gaza displaced many residents.

“There were no life necessities and neither food nor drinking water, but now during Ramadan we can go to the mosque and pray Taraweh and night prayers with ease and we can also visit our families,” he said.

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