Just a few days before Christmas, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, led a Sunday (December 21) mass at Gaza City's Holy Family Parish Church.

Christmas for Palestinian Christians living in the enclave has been darkened by Israel's war against Hamas, a heavy human toll and devastated homes and infrastructure leading some to say the marking of the birth of Jesus Christ this year is more spiritual than celebratory.

This is the fourth time Cardinal Pizzaballa has visited Gaza, but the first since a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was reached in October.

Representatives from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey met on Friday in Miami, Florida, to review the next steps on the Gaza ceasefire plan, a joint statement issued on Saturday by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said, adding that further consultations were needed ahead of the implementation of phase two of the deal.

Despite the ceasefire attacks continue but one worshipper at Sunday's mass said life was returning to Gaza and death was lessening.

Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced people in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, the head of Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said on Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces said, in relation to the attack, that a number of what it said were suspicious individuals had been identified in command structures outside the designated ceasefire line, and its troops fired at them.

Palestinian militant group Hamas called the attack a "brutal crime" and another violation of the ceasefire agreement

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

GAZA CITY, GAZA (DECEMBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. EXTERIOR OF HOLY FAMILY PARISH CHURCH

2. PEOPLE ENTERING CHURCH

3. VARIOUS OF SUNDAY MASS LED BY LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA / WORSHIPPERS PRAYING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM, CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE FOLLOWED BY ARABIC TRANSLATION IN MIDDLE):

"Of course, we are in a new phase but all the problems are still on the table: housing, schools, hospitals, the conditions of life and the poverty are catastrophic. But it's time now to look forward and to rebuild all what has been devastated."

5. PIZZABALLA AT TOP OF CHURCH SIDE STAIRS

6. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM, CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, SAYING:

"Our commitment now is how to build from this devastation together in order to transform Gaza not in the most depressed place of the world but in the most living place."

8. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN READING FROM BOOK DURING MASS

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN, HILDA AYYAD, SAYING:

"We are celebrating with the Christmas prayers, because of the attendance of the Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is attending here for the first time since the ceasefire. He came before, but this is the first time during the ceasefire. Despite hearing sometimes the sounds of explosions, etc, we are trying to make this mass more spiritual than celebratory, because we decorated the tree and we made simple things. We are trying to make it a spiritual joy."

10. VARIOUS OF SUNDAY MASS

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN, HILDA AYYAD, SAYING:

"In the past years, we used to make Christmas trees more than this, there were more trees. Sometimes, we used to celebrate by lighting the tree. This time we are making the tree inside the church. But in the past years, we used to make bigger trees and we used to celebrate while lighting them."

12. WORSHIPPERS PRAYING DURING MASS

13. STATUE OF VIRGIN MARY

14. WORSHIPPER SINGING DURING MASS

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN, NAGLAA MOUSSA SABA, SAYING:

"It is a beautiful feeling, life is coming back, but there is sadness in our hearts still. So much has been lost, our lives, houses, life, our people have been displaced abroad in countries that are faraway. People have been separated from each other. We feel big sorrow, but the war's (burden) has been relieved, death has lessened."

16. VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS DURING MASS

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN, NAGLAA MOUSSA SABA, SAYING:

"We lost our families, friends, and our houses have either been destroyed partially or completely. Our houses have been destroyed. That's why we are living in the church."

18. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE THE CHURCH