Hope in Gaza as 300 couples get married at one time

The 300 couples were selected in a draw of nearly 2,000 people to be a part of the joint celebration. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Couples in their wedding clothes walking in a line. Watch: Hope in Gaza as 300 couples get married at one time Hope in Gaza as 300 couples get married at one time Crowds gathered in Gaza as 300 couples got together for a joint wedding celebration, the largest mass wedding in the region to date. The event in Deir al-Balah saw couples selected from a draw of nearly 2,000 people. The weddings were funded by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, as part of the United Arab Emirate's Operation Gallant Knight 3, which is a humanitarian initiative to provide support to Palestinians in Gaza. One of the brides, Thekra al-Masri, told the BBC how the celebration was bringing "hope for change" for displaced Gazans. There has been a ceasefire in Gaza since last October, but it is fragile. The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, during which more than 72,560 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry. On 23 April, at least eight Palestinians, including three children, were killed in two Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to medics and first responders. On 23 April, at least eight Palestinians, including three children, in the Gaza Strip, according to medics and first responders. In a statement, the Israeli military said it had targeted what it called "a terrorist" who had approached troops in the area of the Yellow Line, which marks territory held by Israeli forces, and posed an immediate threat. A Hamas spokesman condemned what he described as "the horrific massacre" and accused Israel of undermining efforts to implement their ceasefire agreement. The US and Iran's rival blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have become a "test of wills", says Lyse Doucet. Analysis indicates that parts of the video appear to have been filmed hours after the ships were reportedly seized. The BBC's Azadeh Moshiri is in Islamabad, where preparations for the peace talks continue, despite no confirmed date. Esmail Baghaei expressed concern regarding the US’s naval blockade of its ports and the seizure of an Iranian vessel. BBC Arabic's correspondent Carine Torbey reports from the border town of Khiam, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon goes into its second day. Lyse Doucet says Iranians want a solution to the long-running animosity with the US, but leaders is not willing to make a deal on Washington's terms. While military targets have been struck in Iran, civilian areas have too, showing the stark reality of the war. The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet arrived in Tehran to what she described as 'life on pause'. BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner explains how the world's second-largest economy fits into the Gulf conflict. BBC foreign correspondent Nick Beake visits Metula, an Israeli town surrounded on three sides by Lebanon. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner explains how the US blockade of Iranian ports will work. President Donald Trump launched the attack on Pope Leo after the pontiff criticised the war in Iran. BBC Middle East Correspondent Hugo Bachega hears from people affected by this week's attacks. US President Donald Trump said the US had won a 'total and complete victory' after announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The BBC's Ione Wells on what's next for the US and the region. Pro-government demonstrators poured onto the streets of the Iranian capital after the announcement of the two-week conditional ceasefire between the US and Iran. The BBC's Nick Marsh takes a look at whether fuel costs will get cheaper now the US and Iran have agreed a ceasefire. The US president issued the warning to Iran if it does not reach a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz by his deadline. The BBC's Orla Guerin travels to the edge of the critical waterway that Iran has put a stranglehold on. US and Iranian forces are searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down. The president also called on countries reliant on the Strait of Hormuz to 'build up the courage' to secure it. Eyewitnesses captured the moment a burning fuel tanker drove through the centre of Hasakah, Syria, leaving a trail of fire behind it. BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega joins paramedics on duty in Nabatieh - a city that was once vibrant, but is now abandoned. More than one million people in Lebanon have been displaced since the start of the war as Israel expands its ground operation there. BBC reports from the funerals of three journalists killed by a targeted attack in southern Lebanon. The BBC's Hugo Bachega speaks to families in Beirut as more than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon. Paul Adams explains why it is so dangerous to navigate the strait, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels. Violence began after a teenage settler was killed, reportedly after being hit by a vehicle driven by a Palestinian. Israeli forces have been instructed to destroy the crossings over the Litani river that were being used by Hezbollah to send reinforcements. The BBC's Sebastian Usher reports from Dimona in southern Israel, which was hit by an Iranian missile. In footage from Russian state broadcaster RT, correspondent Steve Sweeney is seen diving off screen as a missile hits. At least 10 people were killed and 27 injured, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. Iranians speak about life during the war with constant threat of bombs and regime crackdowns. Ben Chu from BBC Verify has been looking at what role the Royal Navy could play in the Strait of Hormuz. Displaced Palestinians were told to secure their tents to prevent them being blown away as a storm swept through the enclave. Dan Johnson hears from Iranians at a crossing in north-west Iran about their thoughts on the war and regime. BBC Verify explains how we verified a video of a fire at an oil depot in Iran. The footage demonstrates the flow of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf since the US-Israeli military offensive began against Iran on 27 February. Trade at the Middle East's biggest port has been hit hard since Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has hit back at President Trump's criticism of the UK response to the conflict in Iran. Footage shows flames tearing through the building in the early hours of Sunday, following more attacks on the gulf state.