Christians in the Gaza Strip held Christmas Mass and Christmas Eve services on Wednesday, after two devastating years of war that had silenced religious festivities. According to the Argentine News Agency (NA), this marked a somber return to communal worship. Services in the city of Gaza were devoid of the lights, music, and decorations that traditionally define the celebration. Instead, the atmosphere was one of mourning as parishioners prayed for those who had died in the conflict. For the past two years, the small Christian community had been forced to limit its religious practice to individual prayers in shelters or damaged churches. The return to churches on Wednesday was made possible by a recent ceasefire agreement and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city's historic areas. «There can be no true joy while Gaza is destroyed,» said Faten al-Salafiti, 67, who lost her husband and son in an attack on a church. She added, «Our losses are part of the suffering of all the people here.» Several churches that served as shelters for both Christians and Muslims were attacked during the hostilities. Although the current ceasefire has brought relative calm, a sense of insecurity persists. «Sometimes we still hear explosions,» said Hilda Ayad, 29, adding, «Today we are content with prayer.» «Before the war, we used to pray together, decorate the tree at home, and share sweets,» said Edward Antoine, 37, whose mother and sister were killed in the fighting. Church authorities confirmed that there will be no public celebrations or music festivals this year out of respect for the thousands of Palestinians killed across the territory.
