Gaza is home to a small—and steadily shrinking—Christian community. Only three churches remain officially active in the Strip: the Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrios Church, the Roman Catholic Holy Family Church, and the Gaza Baptist Church. Years of economic hardship and emigration have dramatically reduced the Christian population.

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The Media Line spoke with Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family Church. An Argentine priest who has lived in the region for decades, he has served Gaza’s Christians for more than 20 years and has led the parish through the war.

Father Romanelli told The Media Line that Gaza’s Christian population before Oct. 7, 2023, was 1,017 out of about 2.3 million people. When evacuations began, Christian families sought shelter at the church “because they feel more security around Jesus in the house of the Lord.”

At the height of the fighting, the church housed more than 700 people; about 450 are currently sheltering there. The total number of Christians still in Gaza is unclear but estimated at around 600, with the remaining families divided between St. Porphyrios and the Gaza Baptist Church.

During the war, churches became more than places of worship. They served as shelters and aid hubs—among the last spaces of stability for families with nowhere else to go. The Media Line spoke with several Christian residents on Christmas Eve.

Judy, 13, said, “Some people left Gaza and moved to other countries. We lived through two years of war, and after 17 days, we finally reached a kind of peace. We haven’t returned to our home yet, but we are happy to live here in peace.”

Before 2007, Gaza’s Christian population was officially estimated at more than 3,000. Years of conflict and isolation steadily reduced that number, and the war accelerated the decline, as repeated fighting, severe economic hardship, and the ongoing blockade pushed more families to leave.

An estimated 30 to 44 Christians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war—some in direct attacks, others due to deteriorating health conditions.

Dimitri, a refugee from Gaza City, said, “We are leaving, and we are trying to celebrate as well, for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day. In the past three years, everything was very difficult. There was little food and little medicine, but now it’s getting better.” He added, “We have food, we have medicine, and things are better than before. They are reaching us. We’re trying to feel happier than before.”

Holy Family Church also sheltered Muslim neighbors at times. Christmas rituals were shortened, prayers held under fear, and celebrations pared down to their essentials.

Palestinian Christian Samira Al-Madback told The Media Line, “This year’s Christmas is different from any other year in our lives. It’s been very difficult because we lost so many people. The whole country has martyrs, and there’s no peace of mind. But we’re trying. It’s a holiday, so we want to celebrate it with prayers and religious rituals. We want to make the children happy, but it’s a limited joy. Life has to go on.”

She added, “Christmas is the birth of Christ, the king of peace and love, but we could only perform simple religious rituals. This year, we prayed more freely and celebrated with our children more freely. God willing, peace will spread across Gaza. May God bless all our martyrs, Christian and Muslim. We are one people.”

Children have been hit especially hard, though the holiday has lifted spirits. One girl, Jihan Hazem Tarazi, said, “We are happy because the war has ended, and we are happy because it is the birth of Jesus.” Another girl, Natali Anton, added, “I am happy the war has ended, and now we are celebrating without war.”

Father Romanelli described a deepening sense of solidarity this Christmas season. “We try to show our faith through the charity, the mercy for others, for the elderly people, for the sick people, for the needy people. I think that now we are stronger because we live our faith in simplicity more than before,” he said.

For Gaza’s Christians, the holiday season is not marked by crowds or public processions. It is quieter and smaller, shaped by loss. Yet inside Holy Family Church, the community continues to assert its presence—holding on to faith, memory, and the determination to remain.

Gabriel Colodro contributed to this report.