The growing Israeli aggression against the Palestinians has so far caused, among other things, over 20,000 civilian deaths in Gaza. On this Christmas occasion, a wave of gloom therefore pervades the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem in particular.

The Israeli atrocities on Palestinians have indeed clouded Christmas eve celebrations in West Bank’s Bethlehem, the town in which Jesus was born.

According to global media reports, all Christmas festivities have been cancelled in this town that has a population of nearly 100,000 people to express solidarity towards the people of Gaza who have been facing death and destruction on an unprecedented scale since October 7.

On Saturday, Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem had a sombre vigil. No doubt, the Israeli war machinery that the Jewish state has employed in Gaza and the attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have weighed heavily on this biblical city.

Christian leaders in this city have announced that they cannot celebrate until their friends and colleagues in Gaza, both Muslim and Christian, are safe and can celebrate Christmas with them.

Nearly 1,000 Christians, most of whom of Greek Orthodox denomination, live in Gaza that has been witnessing a crisis of humanity, so to speak, for nearly three months. Be that as it may, I wish all Christians who live in Gaza, occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and elsewhere in the world a Merry Christmas.

Lionel Mascarenhas (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023