In Gaza, a Christmas without a tree

In the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, Tony Al-Masri, known as Uncle Tony, sits with his wife, Amal Aboud, and neighbour, Hossam Al-Khalili in front of their small tent. They sip coffee and reminisce about the Christmas celebrations they missed for another year.

78-year-old Uncle Tony was first displaced during the Nakba in 1948 from his birthplace, Haifa, where he was born in the Wadi Nisnas neighbourhood. His family was forced to flee to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, where they lived in the Dbayeh camp, before returning Gaza Strip.

“This is not the first time I have lost my home and loved ones,” he told UN News.

He recalls the happiness and joy that filled Gaza during the holiday season before the seemingly endless war.

“We used to celebrate Christmas, go to church for rituals, and exchange greetings. The priest would be present among us in the churchyard. Our neighbours in Gaza City would wish us well every year.”

He says he used to travel to Bethlehem to visit his children and grandchildren, “but now, for the second year, we have been deprived of the holidays because of the war”.

He shares that he and his wife Amal Aboud used to decorate a Christmas tree during the festive season and stay up late on Christmas Eve, buying cookies, cakes and other sweets.

“The celebrations would begin after midnight. We would prepare our dinner, sit together, and have my sons and daughters by my side. But now, there is no one here. My wife and I will sit alone to celebrate, and we have no one else around. That is the hardest thing for me now.”

No joys, no smiles

Amal adds that every day in the Gaza Strip has been a challenge since the conflict began in October 2023.

“There is no joy, no smiles, no holidays, no nothing. We are merely challenging time. At night, while you’re sleeping, you suddenly hear a loud explosion. You jump up like a madman. You don’t know what to do. You gather yourself and cry, but you can’t go back to sleep. There’s no safe place to rest. There’s no life. There’s nothing to make you happy or comfortable.”

A family you choose

Despite the harsh conditions, the solidarity of Muslim neighbours in the camp west of Khan Younis offers a glimmer of hope.

Hossam Al-Khalili, Uncle Tony’s neighbour in Gaza City before the displacement, searched for his Christian neighbour after his own family was displaced to Rafah. Upon learning that Tony was in Khan Younis, Mr. Al-Khalili decided to move nearby.

“He is like a father to me. I brought him closer to me in the camp because he is an elderly man who needs someone to care for him and his wife. I brought him near so I and my children could help support him,” he says.

“We eat and drink together, and we live as one family. Everything he needs, I help with, including going to the market for shopping.”

A wish for peace

Overwhelmed with nostalgia, Uncle Tony expresses his hope for peace and an end to the war soon.

“I hope that 2025 will be a year of goodness for all nations, especially the Palestinian people. I hope that bloodshed and wars will stop, and people can once again experience the joy of the holidays. May God have mercy on all who lost their lives in the war,” he says.

“My wish is for the beautiful days to return, for me to travel to see my grandchildren, daughters, and sons. That is my greatest wish.”