Overview
- The UAE organised a mass wedding Friday in Deir Al Balah, staging the event near the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital roundabout with backing from the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.
- Coverage differs on the turnout, with The National and Khaleej Times saying 300 couples were married after a draw from 1,991 applicants, while Daily Times reported 150 couples.
- Organisers said the programme paid wedding costs for engaged Palestinians who live in Gaza to ease the heavy expense of starting a household.
- Newlyweds quoted on social media thanked the UAE mission and the Khalifa Foundation, with couples such as Hamza and Asma calling the day the start of their life together.
- The wedding formed part of an Emirati aid drive known as Gallant Knight 3 or Al-Faris Al-Shaheem, following a December ceremony in Khan Younis that helped 54 couples.