‘Refuse to celebrate’: Christians in Gaza mark sombre Easter amid genocide | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

## Summary
Listen Listen (7 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share2 Share facebook twitter whatsapp copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Christians in Gaza observed their third Easter of Israeli's genocidal war on April 5, 2026 [Khaled Al-Qershali/Al Jazeera] By Khaled Al-Qershali Published On 5 Apr 2026 5 Apr 2026 Gaza City, Gaza – Easter is a time of celebration for Christians worldwide, but for Gaza’s tiny Christian population, it is yet another sombre holiday amid Israel’s ongoing genocide. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Jerusalem Patriarch, churches say Christian Zionism threatens Christianity list 2 of 4 The next stage of the Gaza genocide has begun list 3 of 4 What is Christian Zionism, the pro-Israel ideology invoked by US ambassador list 4 of 4 Under Israeli restrictions, Palestinian Christians mark quiet Holy Week end of list Gaza is home to fewer than 1,000 Christians. This year, attendance at Easter services at the only Catholic church in Gaza has decreased because of its members who have left the Strip. “Although we are a small minority, we will continue praying in our church,” he added. “We only performed the prayers, refusing to celebrate because of our martyrs,” he told Al Jazeera, adding: “We, the Christians, are part of this land and suffered along with everyone in Gaza.” “No matter what your political agenda or religion is, all of us Palestinians are targeted by the occupation.” The Israeli restrictions in Gaza mean Christians have not been able to travel to the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem to attend services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the past two years. This year, attendance at Easter services at the Church of the Holy Family has decreased because many Christians have fled Gaza [Khaled Al-Qershali/Al Jazeera] ‘I lost friends’ Elias al-Jelda from the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City was forced to flee from his home with his five-member family when it was destroyed.

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Christians in Gaza observed their third Easter of Israeli's genocidal war on April 5, 2026 [Khaled Al-Qershali/Al Jazeera]
By
Khaled Al-Qershali
Published On 5 Apr 2026
5 Apr 2026
Gaza City, Gaza –
Easter is a time of celebration for Christians worldwide, but for Gaza’s tiny Christian population, it is yet another sombre holiday amid Israel’s ongoing genocide.
Christians on Sunday marked their most important holiday, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, amid displacement and severe shortages.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items
list 1 of 4
Jerusalem Patriarch, churches say Christian Zionism threatens Christianity
list 2 of 4
The next stage of the Gaza genocide has begun
list 3 of 4
What is Christian Zionism, the pro-Israel ideology invoked by US ambassador
list 4 of 4
Under Israeli restrictions, Palestinian Christians mark quiet Holy Week
end of list
Gaza is home to fewer than 1,000 Christians. The community was already small before the war, and many of its members have been killed since then in attacks on their homes and churches. They are among the more than 72,000 Palestinians killed by Israel since October 7, 2023, the day it launched its war on Gaza after Hamas led deadly attacks inside Israel. A United Nations commission and human rights campaigners have called Israel’s war a genocide against Palestinians.
Inside Gaza’s churches, prayers, services and quiet gatherings carried deep meaning as families marked Easter while holding on to hope for survival and peace.
Many members of the community have fled the Gaza Strip, where Christians have lived uninterrupted for more than 2,000 years.
But shortages of basic items have cast a shadow on the holiday. Electricity, water and food, including eggs, which are a part of traditional Easter celebrations, are in short supply.
For decades, Israel has been deciding what goes in and out of Gaza. Those restrictions have been amplified during the genocide. Although a “ceasefire” has been in place since October, Israel has continued its stranglehold and attacks on the territory – home to more than two million Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are displaced.
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Fouad Ayad, a bioenergy trainer who was displaced from his home near the al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in western Gaza, said he has been searching for eggs across Gaza City but they are not available in the markets.
“We decorate eggs for the young children, and sometimes young Muslim children would visit us to get colourful eggs,” he told Al Jazeera.
Gaza is home to fewer than 1,000 Christians [Khaled Al-Qershali/Al Jazeera]
Communal lunch
Fouad lamented that his family won’t have a communal lunch, a common Easter tradition, because meat is scarce and very expensive.
The 31-year-old reminisced about how he used to visit his relatives and friends during Easter, enjoyed the festive atmosphere and performed many traditions.
“We used to have a communal lunch together, and we would colour eggs. It was a beautiful holiday filled with joy,” he said, remembering the time before the war. “We used to visit the elderly and prayed for them and visited some Muslim neighbours.”
The Church of the Holy Family, which Fouad used to attend, had been attacked several times during the genocide. “In this church, three of my relatives were killed, and in another attack, more than 20 Christians were killed,” he said.
This year, attendance at Easter services at the only Catholic church in Gaza has decreased because of its members who have left the Strip. “Although we are a small minority, we will continue praying in our church,” he added.
“We only performed the prayers, refusing to celebrate because of our martyrs,” he told Al Jazeera, adding:
“We, the Christians, are part of this land and suffered along with everyone in Gaza.”
“No matter what your political agenda or religion is, all of us Palestinians are targeted by the occupation.”
The Israeli restrictions in Gaza mean Christians have not been able to travel to the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem to attend services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the past two years.
Last week, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Holy Sepulchre. Israel reversed the decision after international condemnation. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, has also been closed to Muslim worshippers since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran.
This year, attendance at Easter services at the Church of the Holy Family has decreased because many Christians have fled Gaza [Khaled Al-Qershali/Al Jazeera]
‘I lost friends’
Elias al-Jelda from the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City was forced to flee from his home with his five-member family when it was destroyed.
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“I sought shelter in the Church of the Holy Family during the

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Christians on Sunday marked their most important holiday, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, amid displacement and severe shortages.

### Areas for Consideration
- Elias also pointed to the acute power crisis. “Electricity continues to be a major problem for Palestinians.

### Implications
- This year, attendance at Easter services at the only Catholic church in Gaza has decreased because of its members who have left the Strip. “Although we are a small minority, we will continue praying in our church,” he added. “We only performed the prayers, refusing to celebrate because of our martyrs,” he told Al Jazeera, adding: “We, the Christians, are part of this land and suffered along with everyone in Gaza.” “No matter what your political agenda or religion is, all of us Palestinians are targeted by the occupation.” The Israeli restrictions in Gaza mean Christians have not been able to travel to the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem to attend services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the past two years.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers gaza, christians, church topics. Notable strengths include discussion of gaza. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1241.