The war in the Gaza Strip and the devastation it has caused were the main topic of the midnight mass celebrated in Bethlehem - the hometown of Jesus Christ, by the highest-ranking representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land - the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
"You are not alone", Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa addressed the Palestinians in the coastal territory, expressing his solidarity with them.
He celebrated the mass in the church of "St. Catherine", which is located in close proximity to the Basilica of the "Nativity" in Bethlehem.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived earlier yesterday at the head of a procession in the city in the central part of the occupied West Bank.
"You are truly a visible sign of hope amidst the calamity of total destruction that surrounds you," said Cardinal Pizzaballa, who visited the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip before Christmas. He admitted that it was difficult for him to announce "the joy of Christmas to you here and to all those who look to Bethlehem from all over the world."
The atmosphere in the hometown of Jesus Christ was gloomy on Christmas Eve for the second year in a row, the AP notes. The war has dealt a heavy blow to the local economy, given that tourism accounts for 70 percent of Bethlehem's income.
Yesterday, eight Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military operation in two refugee camps in the Tulkarem area, in the northern West Bank.
Israel announced that a former hostage who died of illness as a result of her captivity in the Gaza Strip has been recognized as a victim of the attack of October 7 last year, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
„76-year-old Hana Katsir, kidnapped from her home in Nir Oz during the attack on October 7 October and released during the ceasefire on November 24, 2023, died on December 24, 2024 due to her deteriorating health after her release. She is recognized as a victim of terrorism,“ said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yesterday, Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the death of Hana Katzir, who was kidnapped along with her son during the unprecedented attack by “Hamas“ on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza War.
Her husband Rami was killed in their home the same day, and the body of her 47-year-old son Elad, who died in captivity, was returned to Israel in April and buried in Nir Oz.
Netanyahu issued a condolence message to the Katsir family, reaffirming the authorities' commitment “to do everything possible to return all of our hostages home“.
“We managed to bring Hana home [...], but her body and soul bore the scars of horror until her last day“, the statement said.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, located in close proximity to the Gaza Strip, paid a high price in the attack by “Hamas“ - about 30 of its residents were killed, and more than 70 people were taken hostage. More than 25 of them are still in Gaza, some of whom died in captivity.