The war in Gaza overshadowed for another year the night of Christmas in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem
Millions of Christians celebrate Christmas today, which again this year is overshadowed by the wars in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and many other parts of the world.
Christmas with missile attacks in Ukraine
Ukraine – which for the second consecutive year celebrates Christmas on December 25, as in the West, and no longer on January 7 according to the old calendar followed by the Russian Orthodox Church – woke up this morning to a massive missile attack from Russia.
An air alert was sounded across the country in the early hours, while Russian missiles were fired at Kharkiv, the major city in eastern Ukraine, and at many of the country’s energy infrastructures.
President Zelensky spoke of an inhumane Russian attack on Christmas Day.
Silent Christmas in Bethlehem
The war in Gaza overshadowed Christmas night for another year in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, cradle of Christianity in the occupied West Bank, where a few hundred worshipers gathered in and around the Church of the Nativity.
Bethlehem – which is only about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, on the other side of the wall – is struggling to enjoy this year’s Christmas, which for the second year is “silent” without the thousands of pilgrims of previous years.
A large Christmas tree has been put up for Christmas in the adjacent Manger Square, but like last year, the local authorities have decided not to organize large festive events.
At Gaza Strip, hundreds of Christians gathered in Church of the Holy Familyin Gaza City, in the northern part of the war-torn Palestinian enclave, for the Christmas service.
“This Christmas smells of death and destruction,” according to George Al Saheh, who had taken refuge for weeks to escape the bombs in the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyry. “There is no joy, no festive spirit. We don’t even know if we’ll survive until next Christmas,” he said.
Christians attend a Christmas Eve Mass at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on December 24. Photos by Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters pic.twitter.com/PoeNGvk6Ew
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) December 25, 2024
In a message yesterday to Christians around the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to fight against the “forces of evil”.
“You have stood by us with endurance, steadfastness and strength as Israel defends our civilization against barbarism,” added Netanyahu, whose country has been fighting on many fronts since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.
The Christians of Syria are afraid
In Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, the new Islamist authorities wanted to reassure the Christians, in this country with a predominantly Sunni population.
“It was not easy under the current circumstances to gather and pray with joy, but thank God, we managed,” Sarah told AFP, who attended the service at the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral of St. George in Damascus.
Source :Skai
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