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A big party was what Mohammed al-Ghandour and his fiancée Shahad wanted. The war in Gaza threw a spanner in the works: the two got married on Friday in a tent camp.
Friday January 19, 2024 at 5:48 PM
“I wanted a party, a celebration, a real wedding. I wanted to invite my friends, my family and my nieces and nephews. Just like anyone would want.” But none of that for Mohammed al-Ghandour and his Shahad. The two were forced to celebrate in a tent camp in Rafah, where they had to flee after the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Both their homes were destroyed in air raids, they told Reuters. They also lost many family members. “My happiness level is only at 3 percent,” says Mohammed. “But I want to do this for my wife. I want to make her happy.” In a white tent with mood lights and a gold mirror, he slipped the ring on his wife’s finger. Some family members cheered them on and followed them through the tent camp, to bring a little joy there.
“My dream was to give Shahad the most beautiful wedding ever,” said her mother, Umm Yahia Khalifa. She has already spent a lot of money on this in recent days and made the preparations. “But it all went wrong. Every time she thinks about it, she cries.”
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© REUTERS
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© REUTERS