KEY POINTS
- Christmas in Gaza disrupted by Israeli attacks as churches scaled back celebrations.
- At least one Palestinian killed and several injured in northern Gaza.
- Gaza’s hospitals face fuel shortages; health system on brink of collapse.
- Hamas delegation meets Iraqi officials to discuss ceasefire and humanitarian crisis.
- Israeli forces and illegal settlers carry out raids and attacks across West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- Pope Leo highlights Gaza’s humanitarian plight, urging Palestinian state as part of conflict resolution.
GAZA CITY, Palestine: Christmas in Gaza was overshadowed by violence and humanitarian hardship, as Israeli military strikes and drone attacks disrupted celebrations. Many churches either scaled back or cancelled public events, holding only small private prayers.
Israeli forces have shot at Palestinians in northern Gaza’s Jabalia area in and around their deployment areas, killing at least one person and injuring several others, the territory’s Ambulance and Emergency Services said on Thursday.
Once a thriving community, the number of Christians living in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza is now fewer than 50,000, according to the 2017 census, making up about 1 percent of the population.
In the early 20th century, Christians made up about 12 percent of the population.
However, Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank has squeezed communities, created economic hardships, and deprived them of the conditions needed to exist on their land, pushing many families to seek a more stable life abroad.
Most of Palestine’s Christians live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, totalling approximately 47,000 to 50,000, with an additional 1,000 in Gaza before the war.
At the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, the only Catholic church in Gaza, displaced Palestinian worshippers are lighting candles as the church holds Christmas services for the first time in more than two years since Israel launched its relentless bombardment campaign.
While the church remains damaged due to Israeli bombardments, it is still used as a shelter for displaced Palestinian families.
Rami al-Farr, a displaced Palestinian Christian, has stayed at the church with his family since the beginning of the war.
“We never left. We didn’t go south. We have spent the war living in the church,” al-Farr told Al Jazeera.
Nouzod Terzi, a displaced Palestinian Christian, said she cannot bring herself to celebrate. Her daughter was killed in an Israeli air attack a year ago.
“We used to celebrate together – we would decorate the Christmas tree at home, bake cakes together, visit loved ones, and attend the celebrations at church,” she told Al Jazeera. “Now, I’m going through a very difficult time.”
Israeli violations of ceasefire
The director of Addameer, a Palestinian human rights organisation that monitors political prisoners, said Israel is continuing to violate the ceasefire in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis worsens across the besieged Palestinian territory.
Alaa Skafi told local media that about 80 percent of trucks entering Gaza are being diverted to the commercial sector, where their goods are sold at prices most people cannot afford.
As a result, he said, much needed humanitarian supplies – including medicine, tents and other essentials – are not entering at scale or reaching the residents who need them.
Skafi also warned that al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza may be forced to shut down within hours due to a lack of fuel, describing the situation as a looming “health catastrophe” that could paralyse the facility’s ability to treat patients and provide lifesaving care.
Days ago, Munir al-Bursh, director-general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, told Al Jazeera that Gaza’s health system is on the brink of collapse, saying there are widespread shortages of medicines and medical supplies, particularly items needed to perform operations.
During Israel’s war, nearly all of Gaza’s hospitals and healthcare facilities have been attacked with at least 125 health facilities damaged, including 34 hospitals.
Hamas’s delegation meets Iraqi officials
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas delegation, led by Osama Hamdan and including media adviser Taher al-Nono, visited Baghdad this week, the Gaza-based Safa news agency reported.
The delegation held talks with Iraqi political leaders focusing on the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, regional developments, and the worsening humanitarian situation.
Hamas also briefed officials on Israeli attacks in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and the conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Military offensive and illegal settlers’ violence
Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted operations in multiple West Bank areas, including el-Bireh, Deir Jarir, and Masafer Yatta, according to the Wafa news agency.
Operations involved raids on homes, sports clubs, and streets, resulting in arrests and injuries. In Masafer Yatta, Israeli troops detained three Palestinians after armed illegal Israeli settlers abused residents.
Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, carrying out provocative tours and rituals under police and military protection, Wafa reported.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces demolished a two-storey house in al-Khader, restricting local movement.
A Palestinian man was shot in the foot near East Jerusalem while attempting to cross Israel’s separation wall, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Separately, an eight-month-old girl was injured during an illegal settler attack near Hebron.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat refugee camp has partially suspended services due to severe fuel shortages, Raafat al-Majdalawi, head of the hospital, told Al Jazeera.
The facility receives only 1,000 litres of diesel daily, far below the 2,600 litres required for normal operations.
Humanitarian groups warn that Gaza’s blockade, coupled with destroyed infrastructure, constitutes a deliberate effort to inflict harsh living conditions, according to international legal experts and human rights organisations.
Pope Leo highlights plight of Palestinians
In his first Christmas sermon, Pope Leo decried the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza.
The Pope compared Jesus’ birth in a stable to the tents of displaced Palestinians exposed to rain, wind, and cold.
“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he asked, according to Vatican statements.
The Pope has repeatedly stressed that a Palestinian state must be part of any long-term solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Death toll and ceasefire
Since the Israeli military offensive began on October 7, 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 70,942 Palestinians killed and 171,195 injured.
Following a ceasefire on October 10, 2025, fatalities continue, with hospitals reporting ongoing deaths and injuries, including victims trapped under rubble.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated that Israel will maintain a permanent presence in Gaza and establish a security buffer.
He indicated that settlement activity could resume in northern Gaza, although he partially walked back earlier comments after US criticism, The Times of Israel and Haaretz reported.
Palestinian authorities have urged international pressure to halt illegal settlement expansion, which the United Nations considers illegal.
