This is what Christmas is like in Gaza: ‘We hope that peace will prevail so that we can celebrate’

Christmas in Gaza is like everywhere else and nowhere else. At the branch of the YMCA International in Gaza City, switching on the lights of the Christmas tree was a major event attended by hundreds, including clergy from across the community. There were musicians, acrobats, clowns walking on stilts, juggling and blowing bubbles for kids dressed up as Santa. Plenty of selfies would be taken in front of the glittering tree with family and friends. 

The last two years have disrupted this tradition. On 7 October 2023, Palestinian group Hamas massacred around 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages. The response from the Israeli government was decisive and brutal. Two years on, 70,000 have been killed, 150,000 people injured and much of the territory destroyed. A Trump-brokered ceasefire is in place but is fragile. 

Emad Wafa Tawfiq Al-Sayegh, 59, a father of four, founded a factory producing porous metals, wires and bricks. He is a member of the YMCA Gaza board and tells us what Christmas has been like before and during the conflict, and his hopes for the future. 

How do you typically celebrate? 

We begin our celebrations with midnight Christmas Mass, exchanging greetings afterwards. We make family visits, and the traditional meal is lamb. We prepare Gazan-style fattah, and before that, in the morning, we have soup with meat kofta and parsley. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visits the children, bringing gifts and chocolates. Two weeks before Christmas we light the Christmas tree, which is attended by thousands. It is a great event. Lighting the Christmas tree embodies the life of Jesus Christ for the people of Gaza and reinforces love among many. 

How have celebrations been impacted over the last two years? 

Christmas celebrations have been limited to religious services. We brought gifts for the children in the churches, and the churches provided lamb for those present, despite its high price – lamb reached about $60 per kilo. At Christmas we were very afraid because of the bombing around us. 

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Churches have been subjected to several airstrikes. The first of these attacks was on 19 October 2023, and it resulted in the martyrdom of 19 [reports from the time said 18] people and the complete destruction of a church building. Had it not been for divine intervention, the losses would have been last two much higher, as there were more than 100 people inside. 

What activities does the YMCA run in Gaza? 

Since its establishment in 1952, YMCA Gaza has played a major role in introducing and promoting sports, cultural and social activities across the Gaza Strip, serving the Palestinian community without discrimination. 

During the past two years, YMCA Gaza has been severely affected. The escalation has resulted in extensive damage to all of the facilities. 

We have identified an urgent need to restart restoration efforts in order to ensure the continuation of vital services to children and the wider community. 

Read more:

• I’m an aid worker in Gaza – the situation has never been worse
• Donkeys are now the main form of transport in Gaza. Meet the vet keeping them alive
• These raw, heartfelt voice notes are straight from Gaza’s frontline: ‘Even the silence is frightening’

Can you describe the Christian population in Gaza? 

Before 7 October, the Christian population numbered 950. Approximately 25 were killed as a result of Israeli attacks on churches, and some fled the country. Around 570 Christians remain, residing in the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius [the third oldest church in the world] and the Latin Monastery Church. 

During the recent war, approximately 85% of their homes were destroyed. 

Is it only Christian families the YMCA supports?

There is no difference for families in Gaza; the YMCA has both Christian and Muslim members and one of the principles of interaction within the YMCA is based on Christian ideals, especially love, since God is love. 

Was your family among those who sheltered at the Church of Saint Porphyrius?

I went to the Church of Saint Porphyrius on 14 October 2023. In November 2023, my family’s house was bombed. My factory was also destroyed and my family’s land, which contained olive and orange trees, was bulldozed. Nothing was spared. Now I am living in my wife’s sister’s husband’s house. 

Did you ever have the option to leave Gaza? 

I have had opportunities to leave but Gaza is everything to me. I am like a fish in the sea; if it leaves the water, it dies. That is how I am. Gaza is the land of my ancestors. In the Psalms, it says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them and delivers them from all their troubles.” 

Bethlehem is only 45 miles from Gaza City. Do you feel close to the Christmas story at this time of year? 

In the Christian faith, we are always close to Jesus, for he stands with us in times of hardship. We always pray for this. 

What are your plans for this Christmas? 

We hope that peace and security will prevail in the coming days so that we can celebrate as we have done in previous years, and that we will have the resources to bring back those celebrations. 

Are you hopeful looking ahead to 2026? 

There is a ceasefire in Gaza, and it has given us a measure of reassurance, but it is fraught with danger. We don’t know what will happen in the coming days. A free and faithful person should be optimistic because life only ends by God’s will. As we always say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done,” and the Lord does not forsake his children. 

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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