Gaza Christians pray for end of 'death and destruction' unleashed by Israel

Hundreds of Christians in war-ravaged Gaza City gathered at a church on Tuesday, praying for an end to the war that has devastated much of the Palestinian territory.

Gone were the sparkling lights, the festive decorations, and the towering Christmas tree that had graced Gaza City for decades.

The Square of the Unknown Soldier, once alive with the spirit of the season, now lay in ruins, reduced to rubble by relentless Israeli air strikes.

Amid the rubble, the faithful sought solace even as fighting continued to rage across the coastal strip on Tuesday.

"This Christmas carries the stench of death and destruction," said George al-Sayegh, who for weeks has sought refuge in the 12th century Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius.

"There is no joy, no festive spirit. We don't even know who will survive until the next holiday."

A part of the church itself was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in October last year, in which 18 Palestinian Christians were killed, according to the territory's health ministry.

About 1,100 Christians live in Gaza, a community that has also faced the brunt of the war since October 7 last year, when fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out.

Israel's recent air strikes, including one that killed several children according to the territory's civil defence agency, have come under severe criticism from Pope Francis.

"With pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of schools and hospitals. What cruelty," the pope said after his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had slammed the pontiff's comment, saying they showed "double standards".

- 'Pray for peace' -

But the pain and sorrow are visible in Gaza, and for Gaza City resident Kamal Jamil Caesar Anton, the festive season of Christmas is marred by profound grief.

Last December, his wife Nahida and daughter Samar were killed by Israeli sniper fire within the compound of the Holy Family Church, he said.

"We pray for peace, for the war to end so that the people can live safely," Anton said.

His sentiments were echoed by resident Ramez al-Souri who also suffered a bitter tragedy during the air strike that hit the Church of Saint Porphyrius.

His three children were among those killed in that attack.

"We are still suffering. We didn't celebrate last year because of the destruction," Souri said.

"This year we hoped for an end to the war, but every day we lose loved ones."

Local Christian community leader George Anton hoped the warring sides would end the fighting soon.

"We call on all parties to end the war and to seek a true path to peace," he said.

"We hope both peoples can live in harmony and security."

Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas

Christians gathered at the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to mark a solemn Christmas overshadowed by war, as Pope Francis led mass in the Vatican.

In Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, festive decorations were missing for a second consecutive year.

The crowd of several hundred paled in comparison to the throngs of tourists and pilgrims of Christmases past -- a reflection of the sombre mood as the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip churns on.

At St Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis urged the faithful to think "of the wars, of the machine-gunned children, of the bombs on schools or hospitals," days after he reiterated his condemnation of the "cruelty" of Israeli strikes, prompting objections from Israeli diplomats.

At Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city dominated by the revered church that marks the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, a group of scouts held a parade that broke the morning's silence.

"Our children want to play and laugh," read a sign carried by one of them, as his friends whistled and cheered.

Traditionally in Bethlehem, a grand Christmas tree would light up Manger Square, but local authorities opted against elaborate celebrations for a second year.

"This year we limited our joy," Bethlehem mayor Anton Salman told AFP.

Prayers, including the church's famed midnight mass, will still be held in the presence of the Catholic Church's Latin patriarch, but the festivities will be of a more strictly religious nature.

The patriarch, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told a crowd in Bethlehem he had just returned from Gaza, where he "saw everything destroyed, poverty, disaster".

"But I also saw life -- they don't give up. So you should not give up either. Never."

Despite the gloomy mood, some Christians in the Holy Land -- who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories -- were finding refuge in prayer.

"Christmas is a feast of faith... We're going to pray and ask God to end our suffering," Salman said.

In a message to Christians all over the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked them for supporting Israel's fight against the "forces of evil".

- Christians in Syria -

In war-ravaged Gaza, which is separated from the West Bank by Israeli territory, hundreds of Christians gathered at a church to pray for an end to the war.

"This Christmas carries the stench of death and destruction," said George al-Sayegh, who for weeks has sought refuge in the 12th-century Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City.

"There is no joy, no festive spirit. We don't even know who will survive until the next holiday."

Elsewhere in the Middle East, hundreds of people took to the streets in Christian areas of Damascus to protest the burning of a Christmas tree in a Syrian town, just over two weeks after Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

"If we're not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don't belong here anymore," said a demonstrator who gave his name as Georges.

Syria's new rulers have vowed to protect the country's religious minorities, including Christians.

But some Syrian Christians, including longtime secular opponents to Assad's rule, fear the new leadership's Islamist ideology will mean their community's aspirations and those of other minorities will not be taken into account in the transition.

- Tracking Santa -

In Germany, Christmas was overshadowed by a deadly attack at a market, prompting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to issue a message of healing.

"Hatred and violence must not have the final word," he said.

Pope Francis marked Christmas Eve on Tuesday with a special ceremony launching Jubilee 2025, a year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.

The pope, who in recent days has made strong remarks condemning Israel's military actions in Gaza, opened the "Holy Door" of St Peter's Basilica before presiding over the Christmas Eve mass.

Among the groups registered to participate in the Jubilee, which has the motto "Pilgrims of Hope", is Italian LGBTQ group La Tenda di Gionata, reflecting the pope's call for the Church to be open to all.

There were many moments of joy on Christmas Eve, as families around the world gathered for meals and gift-giving.

As an annual tradition of "tracking" Santa Claus swung into action, a US Air Force general said there was no need to worry that recent mystery drone sightings might affect deliveries.

General Gregory Guillot's reassurances came as the joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command reported that Santa and his reindeer were making stops across Asia, including Japan and North Korea.

"Of course, we are concerned about drones and anything else in the air," NORAD commander Guillot told Fox News. "But I don't foresee any difficulty at all with drones for Santa this year."

And in Paris, worshippers gathered at the Notre Dame cathedral for the first Christmas mass since its reopening following a devastating fire in 2019.

"We got here early to attend 4:00 pm mass, and to get a good spot. It's a superb monument," said Julien Violle, a 40-year-old engineer who travelled to Paris from Switzerland along with his two children.

Notre Dame officially reopened on December 7 in a ceremony attended by world leaders, including incoming US president Donald Trump.