Christmas will arrive in Gaza this year under conditions that barely resemble peace, despite the existence of a ceasefire and widespread claims that the worst of the war has passed. Testimony from the Christian community on the ground suggests that, while active fighting has eased, the humanitarian and psychological realities facing civilians remain acute, with no clear horizon for resolution.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, Priest of the Holy Family parish, Gaza’s only Catholic church, has described the current situation as only marginally improved compared to the height of the conflict. The situation is still very serious and delicate. He highlights the widening gap between diplomatic language and lived reality. Although talk of an end to the war circulates internationally, neither war nor peace has yet definitively arrived, leaving the population suspended in uncertainty.