Death and destruction overshadow joy of Easter in Gaza

Christians lament inability to celebrate the occasion for second year in a row

Altar boys carry candles as Palestinian Christians attend the Good Friday mass at the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza city on April 18. AFP

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For a second year in a row, Christians in Gaza will observe Easter Sunday in mourning, not only for the tens of thousands of Gazans killed by Israel over 18 months of war, but also for the traditions they cannot safely observe amid the danger of fresh attacks.

“We observed our own religious rituals, exchanged visits, and celebrated in a warm and joyful atmosphere. But sadly, because of the war, all of that has disappeared,” says Ehab Ayad, a 31-year-old Christian from Gaza city.

“There is no longer any sign of celebration or joy,” he told The National. “Our observance now is limited only to prayers and rituals inside the church.”

Good Friday services at the Greek Orthodox St Porphyrius Church, one of three Christian places of worship in Gaza city, along with the Catholic Holy Family Church and the Baptist Church, saw reduced attendance.

This year, the Catholic and Orthodox churches will mark Easter on April 20, a rare occurrence as they follow different calendars.

"We are not celebrating like the rest of Palestinian cities or the rest of the world," said Ramez Al Suri, speaking outside the St Porphyrius Church, which was damaged in an Israeli air strike that killed 18 people just weeks after the war began in early October 2023.

"Before, there was joy with the children and family. I lost my sons, so there is no joy," he said.

Ihad Abayad, another congregant at the church, said there used to be about 1,400 Christian families in Gaza, "but after this war, only 350 to 400 families are left".

Although Israel imposed a siege on Gaza after the war began, residents with dual nationality were allowed to leave the enclave along with close family members during the early months of the conflict.

Israel resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18, ending a truce that lasted eight weeks as it exchanged Palestinian detainees for Israeli hostages seized by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack, while Israel’s military retaliation has killed more than 51,000 people so far, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

Three weeks ago, dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes carried out as Gaza’s Muslims celebrated Eid Al Fitr.

“Israel targets any form of Palestinian presence on this land, whether Muslim or Christian," Mr Ayad said. "They are trying to extinguish our joy, our holidays, and the spirit we once lived by.”

With efforts to renew the ceasefire having failed so far, Israel continues to impose a complete blockade of aid into Gaza, while its military's expanded ground operations and continuing bombardment have displaced nearly a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million population once again. UN agencies have warned that stockpiles of food that entered during the previous truce are running dangerously low.

"Every day the situation gets harder, the crimes increase, and because of that, no one is able to experience the spirit of the holiday,” said Sama Terzi, 24.

“Honestly, the holiday now is limited to just religious rituals, there’s no room at all for the joy we used to feel in past years.”

Before the war, Easter meant "going out, visiting family and friends, enjoying outings, but this year, and the year before, all of that disappeared”, she said.

Mr Ayad dreams of attending Easter services in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, cities that hold deep spiritual significance for Christians around the world. But Israel's strict controls on Gaza’s borders after Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave in 2007, and the war it is now waging to destroy the militant group, mean that his dream must wait.

For this Easter, though, his wish is simple. “We want this crazy, catastrophic war to come to an end, a war that has destroyed everything and spares no one, aiming to erase the Palestinian presence. God willing, by the next holiday, we will be able to be in the West Bank and Jerusalem to celebrate our traditions.”