Amid ‘fragile’ ceasefire, Caritas Jerusalem seeks to ‘replant hope’ in Gaza this Christmas

Among the initiatives, with assistance from Caritas branches in Italy and Sweden, are Christmas celebrations, tree lightings, and providing material support and comfort to Christians in Gaza and the West Bank.

“We’re doing it in Bethlehem. We’re doing it in Jerusalem, we’re doing it in Zababdeh, and even in Gaza,” said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem, in an interview with OSV News Dec. 10. “We want to replant hope within the Christian community over here in the Holy Land.”

While a ceasefire brokered in October remains in place, Asfar told OSV News that the agreement remains “fragile.”

Despite the ceasefire’s first phase agreement to end hostilities, Israel has continued targeted attacks in Gaza, including the recent killing of a Hamas senior commander. According to Al-Jazeera, Israel has carried out at least 800 attacks and killed 400 people since the ceasefire began Oct. 10. 

In a recent update, Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations’ Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, warned that despite U.N. efforts to distribute tents, blankets and provisions for the cold winter months ahead, continued restrictions on humanitarian corridors are hampering those efforts. 

“Tragically, the first hypothermia-related death of a two-week-old newborn boy from Khan Younis was confirmed earlier today,” the U.N. official said. “While hunger has improved due to increased aid and commercial foodstuffs, key protein sources remain out of reach for most of the population, alongside severe shortages of clean water, medical care, and shelter.”

Bombardment and shelling heard every day

Asfar told OSV News that Israeli tanks can be seen near the Holy Family Parish compound in the Gaza Strip and that “every day, between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning,” locals can hear “the bombardments and shelling.”

“Even shrapnel is coming into the compound in Gaza,” he said. “Nobody talks about this now. Yes, the situation (has) improved, but it’s a ‘war after war’ situation.”

The secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem also noted the difficulty for families as well as Caritas staff to navigate around the so-called “Yellow Line,” a boundary marked by Israeli forces in Gaza, which, according to some observers, continues to expand further into Palestinian territories. 

“The people in Gaza are pushed back. On the eastern side, you have the ‘Yellow Line,’ and anyone who approaches this ‘Yellow Line’ will be shot at because they are seen as a threat. So if you mistakenly commute over there or walk over there, maybe you will be shot. It’s not easy. That’s why we are very careful about how our teams are moving within Gaza, from the north to the south, or the other way around, in these areas,” Asfar said. 

While Christians in Gaza have “never stopped praying and celebrating Mass,” with the current ceasefire in place, many are dealing with the trauma they have experienced and continue to endure.

“People now, after the ceasefire, are starting to understand what has happened to them and are starting to process what happened, so it’s not an easy situation,” he told OSV News.