On a morning shrouded in both sorrow and hope, Palestine marks Easter Sunday. Church bells ring out across the land, yet in the hearts of Christians Palestinians echoes a deeper pain—the pain of the ongoing war.

In Gaza, where the celebration of the Resurrection intersects with the anguish of siege, Christians walk a path strikingly similar to the Stations of the Cross. Their numbers have dwindled from around 1,200 to just 600 due to the relentless war and blockade. Yet, despite the hardship, they continue to share what little they have with their Muslim neighbors, embodying a spirit of humanity that transcends all divisions.

Since the start of the genocidal war waged by the usurping entity on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and up to April 2025, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been martyred, and more than 116,000 have been injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Among the victims, Gaza’s Christian community has lost around 3% of its people. The only remaining Christian hospital in the Strip, Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital, was bombed on Palm Sunday.

No sanctuary was spared. Saint Porphyrius Church—the oldest in Gaza—was bombed, killing 18 people, ten of whom were from the same family. Holy Family Church was also targeted, where Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar Kamal Anton were shot dead by a sniper from the usurping entity inside the church grounds. Seven others were injured while trying to rescue them.

These churches had turned into shelters for the displaced. Holy Family Church hosted around 700 people seeking refuge. Despite being bombed, the church continued to provide humanitarian aid—offering shelter, food assistance, and medical support.

Amid this pain, the Vatican today announced the passing of Pope Francis, a global voice for peace and justice. His death, in such a dire moment, deepens the grief of Gaza’s Christians, who have lost a steadfast advocate for their cause—he had long called for an end to the aggression on Gaza and the genocide against the Palestinian people.

To this suffering is added the ongoing restrictions imposed by the usurping entity on Palestinian Christians in the West Bank. Thousands were denied access to Al-Quds to celebrate Palm Sunday due to strict permit limitations and repeated harassment. Out of approximately 50,000 Christians in the West Bank, only 6,000 were granted permits to attend the holy celebrations in the city.

Despite the siege, hunger, and destruction, the Christians of Gaza remain steadfast—carrying their cross, believing in the promise of resurrection. In every candle lit in their churches, and every prayer lifted toward the heavens, hope is renewed—for a better future, one filled with justice and peace.

This Easter, as the bells ring through the churches of Palestine, prayers rise for Gaza—for every soul suffering within it, Christian and Muslim alike—in hope that the sun of freedom will soon rise, and that life will return again to the land of peace.