Members of the Christian community in Gaza City gathered at the Holy Family Church for Christmas Eve mass on Dec. 24, 2025, lighting the parish’s Christmas tree for the first time in two years. Following a recent conflict, church officials limited the holiday events to prayer services and small family gatherings.
While the church was decorated for the occasion, attendees and church leaders described the celebrations as subdued. The Holy Family Church is the only Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip.
The Christian population in Gaza has decreased in recent years. Before the conflict, approximately 1,000 Christians resided in the territory, down from a reported 3,000 in 2007. According to figures cited by Al Jazeera, the number is now estimated to be a few hundred. The majority of Palestinian Christians, between 47,000 and 50,000, live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Several residents who attended the service spoke about their experiences during the conflict. Dmitri Boulos, 58, said he and his family were displaced from their home in the Tal al-Hawa area and have been sheltering at the church.
“We fled to the church seeking safety at the time, but it turned out there was no safe place,” Boulos said. “The church was hit twice while we were inside, and we lost friends and loved ones during that period.”
During the conflict, several Christian places of worship where displaced people were taking shelter were damaged. An Israeli strike on Oct. 19, 2023, hit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, killing 18 people, according to reports at the time.
Edward Sabah, 18, said he was sheltering at Saint Porphyrius during the strike.
“We were gathered in the church courtyard … when suddenly a massive explosion hit one of the church buildings,” Sabah stated. “We never expected the church to be targeted, but it happened.”
The broader humanitarian situation in the territory provides context for the limited celebrations. According to United Nations figures, more than 80 percent of buildings across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. The territory’s Government Media Office reported that more than 288,000 families face a shelter crisis.
Nowzand Terzi, 63, who also sheltered at the Holy Family Church, recounted losing her home in an Israeli strike and later her daughter, who she said fell ill and was unable to reach a hospital in time. “My heart is still heavy with the tragedies and exhaustion we lived through during the war,” Terzi said.
Other attendees expressed a desire to find a sense of normalcy. Janet Massadm, 32, said she was displaced to the church with her family from the Remal neighborhood.
“We are tired of grief, loss, displacement, and fear that have taken so much from our lives and our years,” Massadm said. “But what can we do? We must try to create joy and happiness.”
Boulos expressed his hope for the future. “We are trying to make ourselves and our children feel that what’s coming will be better, even though the reality is extremely hard,” he said.
