Hiba and Omar, a Palestinian couple in
the Gaza Strip, held their wedding ceremony in a United Nations school where their families have been seeking shelter - offering a glimmer of hope in the war-ravaged coastal enclave.
Just hours before Israel and Hamas agreed to extend a shaky, temporary ceasefire for five additional days after a month of intense fighting, with a huge cost in lives lost, destroyed infrastructure and traumatized families on both sides of the border - hundreds danced the night away in celebration of the young couple.
The UN school in the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahiya, where the bride's family has been seeking shelter was decorated with colored balloons and large posters bearing the names of the bride and her groom.
Riyad Sayad, the bride's father, said despite the fact that it hurts him to see his daughter get married under these sombre circumstances, life must go on.
"Of course no one would like to see his daughter leave a shelter for her wedding to another shelter, or even a hotel. But life has to go on," Sayad said the day before the wedding.
According to the United Nations, at least 425,000 displaced people in the Gaza Strip of 1.8 million have been displaced by the war, living in emergency shelters or staying with host families, stoking international alarm.
Nearly 12,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli air strikes and heavy shelling.
Relatives said the couple were due to marry next month, but the war has cancelled many of their original plans.
Hiba Fayyad, 23, said Israeli air strikes destroyed her family home in Jabaliya, along with the white dress, accessories and decorations she had bought. Her husband, Omar Abu Nimer, 30, who together with his family had been seeking shelter in the Beach refugee camp school in Gaza City, did not see the point in putting off their life plans.
"It all happened by chance, but I thought it would be good to get married now and be together," Nimer said.
Israel launched its military campaign on July 8 to quell cross-border rocket fire from Gaza.
The Gaza hostilities have killed 1,945 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 67 on the Israeli side. Most of the Palestinian casualties have been civilians, hospital officials in the small, densely populated enclave say.
Guests at the wedding said beside offering a dose of much-needed relief, supporting the bride and groom on their special day was important.
"Despite the pain, sadness, wounds and war, the wedding had to go on. We have to take part in their celebration," Nadia Abu Odeh, whose daughters are friends with the bride.
As dancers as celebrations went late into the night, Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesman for the UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said holding a wedding amid the grim reality of war and displacement sends an important message that Palestinians in Gaza love life.
"The message from Gaza today from this school - these are homeless people, many of them have lost their homes, their sons, their incomes, their businesses and work places - this is a message of life, we make the most of every moment in order to say to the world that we love life, and we will continue to look forward to a better life. This is also a message that the people of Gaza are like all the people in the world, there is no culture of death in Gaza, but one of life," Abu Hasna said.
Abu Hasna said UNRWA contributed to the wedding expenses and invited the young newlyweds for to two nights to a hotel.
REUTERS