by Kathryn Shihadah – If Amarians Knew: 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.
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.
Images of the damage to Saint Porphyrios Church, October 2023
Images from other festivals in Gaza’s Christian community
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.
