Eman Hassan Lawwa was dressed in traditional Palestinian prints, and Hikmat Lawwa wore a suit as they walked hand-in-hand past the crumbled buildings of southern Gaza in a line of other couples dressed in exactly the same way.

The 27-year-old Palestinians were among 54 couples to get married on Tuesday in a mass wedding in the blockaded enclave that represented a rare moment of hope after two years of brutal genocide.

"Despite everything that has happened, we will begin a new life," Lawwa said. "God willing, this will be the end of the war."

Weddings are a key part of Palestinian culture that have become rare in Gaza during the Israeli carnage. The tradition has begun to resume in the wake of a fragile ceasefire, even if the weddings are different from the elaborate ceremonies once held in the territory.

As roaring crowds waved Palestinian flags in the southern city of Khan Younis, the celebrations were dampened by the ongoing crisis across Gaza. Most of Gaza's 2 million residents, including Eman and Hikmet, have been displaced by Israel's carnage, entire areas of cities have been flattened, and aid shortages and outbursts in the genocide continue to plague the daily lives of people.

"We want to be happy like the rest of the world. I used to dream of having a home, a job, and being like everyone else," Hikmet said. "Today, my dream is to find a tent to live in."

"Life has started to return, but it's not like we hoped it would," he added.

The celebration was funded by Al Fares Al Shahim. In addition to holding the event, the organisation offered couples a small sum of money and other supplies to start their lives together.

For Palestinians, weddings are often elaborate, day-long celebrations, seen as both an important social and economic choice that spells out the future for many families. They include joyful dances and processions through the streets by massive families in fabric patterns donned by the couple and their loved ones, and heaping plates of food.

Here are some of the wedding’s images: