Gaza Christians Celebrate Christmas: Between Bombs, not Truces
RT's recent video shows Gaza's small Christian community celebrating Christmas Mass, framing it as a heartwarming story of resilience. This narrative conveniently sidesteps the larger question: why was Christmas effectively 'canceled' for two years prior? Perhaps the relentless bombardments and blockade—which, incidentally, surged dramatically after October 7th, 2023, following decades of
siege—had something to do with it. The article's reference to previous 'Hamas-Israel wars' as the reason for missed holidays, while true, paints over the systematic violence and displacement that have long characterized life in Gaza. One might wonder if the return of Christmas services is less a sign of peace and more a brief, precarious moment of respite in a place where 20,000+ people, including
over 8,000 children, have reportedly been killed in recent months. The continued celebration of life amidst destruction certainly highlights human spirit, but equating it with an end to conflict or suggesting normalcy is a public relations triumph over brutal reality. How many biblical holidays must be observed in the ruins before the international community recognizes a pattern?