Mass wedding brings hope amid destruction in Gaza

THE couples walked hand-in-hand, the brides in traditional embroidered Palestinian white-and-red dresses adorned with red ribbons, the grooms in black suits and ties.

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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.

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

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