Sawt Falasteen - Mass wedding brings hope amid destruction in Gaza

But the backdrop told a different story: dilapidated buildings, piles of concrete and rubble -- the scars of two years of conflict in the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, 54 couples tied the knot in a mass wedding ceremony in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza -- a defiant celebration of life amid the wreckage of war.

"We needed a moment of happiness like this, something that could make our hearts feel alive again," said Karam Musaaed, one of the grooms.

On a red carpet laid across rubble-strewn ground, dozens of couples paraded to the beat of drums before ascending a makeshift stage.

The brides in their embroidered dresses clutched bridal bouquets containing the Palestinian colours of red, white and green. The grooms walked beside them, waving small flags.

The collective ceremony, accompanied by traditional music and dances, drew hundreds of spectators to a city square.

Some gathered on the plaza, while others perched precariously on the ruins of surrounding buildings.

The newlyweds expressed cautious optimism after two years of devastating war and a crushing humanitarian crisis.

"The feeling was very beautiful -- a joy we truly needed after all the suffering we went through. After the harsh life, the hunger we endured, and the loss of friends and relatives, the people dearest to us," said Musaaed.

Hikmat Usama, another newlywed, echoed his words.

"It's an indescribable feeling that after all this war, destruction, and everything we lived through, we can return to joy again and start rebuilding a new life. Thank God and, God willing, better days will come," Usama said.

The mass wedding was organised by the Al-Faris Al-Shahim Foundation, an Emirati humanitarian organisation that has delivered aid to Gaza.

"We chose this place amid the rubble to say that the 'dress of joy' will rise again", Shareef al-Neyrab, media officer for the organisation in Gaza, told AFP.

Once more, the people of Gaza will emerge from the ruins so that Gaza may rejoice, and God willing we will restore its future and rebuild it," he added.

Gazans have slowly begun to rebuild their lives after a US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10.

The truce has largely held, though Israel has launched strikes on the territory since.

Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, said that 360 people were killed since the ceasefire took effect.

D.Qudsi--SF-PST