On Christmas day, meet some of Gaza's Christians

On Christmas day, meet some of Gaza’s Christians – Day 444

Children at an Orthodox Mass last Christmas at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)

by Kathryn Shihadah

Today, instead of reporting on the genocide, here are some photos and videos of Christmas and the Christian community in Gaza. Tomorrow we will return to our news round-up.

Christians in Gaza

As we mentioned yesterday, Gaza’s Christian population is estimated to be 800 to 1,000. They include both Catholics and Orthodox (the Orthodox church observes Christmas on January 7).

Gaza’s Catholic church is the Holy Family Parish; the the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius – one of the oldest churches in the world – serves the Orthodox community. Both are located in Gaza City.

One week into the war, Israel targeted the Greek Orthodox church, reportedly killing 18 people who had sought refuge there. In November, an 84-year-old music teacher who was sheltering in the Catholic church bled to death after being shot. In late December, an Israeli sniper shot to death two women at the Catholic church.

Orthodox worshipers attended a Christmas Mass at St. Porphyrius (.Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas with divine service at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, Gaza last Christmas. (Anadolu Agency)

Father Silas leads an Orthodox service in worship at Advent Mass in Saint Porphyrios Church in Gaza's Old City. — Father Silas leads an Orthodox service in worship at Advent Mass in Saint Porphyrios Church in Gaza’s Old City. (Photo courtesy of Saint Porphyiros Church.)

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, lights a candle in the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza during his visit there on Dec. 22, 2024. (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

Group photo in front of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza during the visit of the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on Dec. 22, 2024. (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

Religious pluralism in Gaza

There have been Christians in Gaza since the earliest times. Later, when Islam rose and became prominent, peace prevailed. Christian and Muslim communities have been neighbors in Palestine for more than 1,300 years.

They share in the experience of oppression by Israel. When St. Porphyrius was attacked, its neighbor, Katib al-Wilaya Mosque, also suffered damage.

Ayman Abu Shaban, Architectural Engineer at Municipality of Gaza, said,

One of the symbols of tolerance in Gaza is [a] mosque called Katib al-Wilaya Mosque next to the Church of Saint Porphyrius. It’s beautiful because the minaret and the church towers are adjacent to each other.

Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius is next door to the Welayat Mosque — Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius and the Welayat Mosque are next-door neighbors. (rahimabaid, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Hundreds of Christians and Muslims were sheltering in Saint Porphyrius church when an Israeli missile brought down part of the complex, killing 16 people. The bodies of those killed were laid out for a mass funeral in the church courtyard. — Hundreds of Christians and Muslims were sheltering in Saint Porphyrius church in October 2023, when an Israeli missile brought down part of the complex, killing 16 people. The bodies of those killed were laid out for a mass funeral in the church courtyard. (Anadolu Agency/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Images of the damage to Saint Porphyrios Church, October 2023

Palestinians search the destroyed annex of the Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City after an airstrike on Oct. 20, 2023 (Dawood Nemer/AFP via Getty Images)

A young boy walked in front of St. Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza that was damaged during an Israeli bombardment. — A young boy walks in front of St. Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza that was damaged during an Israeli bombardment. (Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

A view of the damaged historical Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, where civilians took shelter, after Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza on October 20, 2023. (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Images from other festivals in Gaza’s Christian community

Child deaconesses walk past the rubble of a collapsed building in a procession during the Palm Sunday service outside the Greek Orthodox Church of St Porphyrius in Gaza City on April 28, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

Gaza's Orthodox Christians gather at the Church of Saint Porphyrius, which has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes before — Gaza’s Orthodox Christians gather at the Church of Saint Porphyrius, which has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes before, for Easter worship. (Getty)

Palestinian Christians in Gaza celebrate Christmas - in more peaceful times (2021) — Palestinian Christians in Gaza celebrate Christmas – in more peaceful times (2021) (Wikimedia Commons)

Videos from Christmas 2024 in Gaza

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – DECEMBER 24, 2024:

Palestinian death toll from October 7, 2023 – December 24, 2024: at least 46,186* – 45,361 in Gaza; in the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and/or settlers have killed at least 825 Palestinians (~170 of them children).

Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 11,000 more are still buried under rubble.

Palestinian injuries from October 7, 2023 – December 24, 2024: at least 114,303 (including at least 107,803 in Gaza and 6,500 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – December 24, 2024: ~1,595 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 417*** military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza (updated: Dec 17); 39 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel) and~10,000 injured.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers. Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org

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