(7 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – 07 January 2025
1. Exterior of Saint Porphyrius, Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza city, bells ringing
2. Various of Ramez al-Suri, 47-year-old, who lost his three children during an Israeli strike on the complex of Saint Porphyrius, Greek Orthodox Church, walking into packed church
3. Mid of woman lighting candle inside church
4. Mid of Al-Suri during service
5. Various of clergy during service
6. Pan right of destroyed church complex
7. Wide of Al-Suri visiting the graves of his children and his relatives
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident who lost his 3 children in the war:
“There are three people in this grave, my children, and my cousin.”
9. Mid of leaves on grave
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
“15 months since we lost them, it’s hard, they’re still in my heart, they’re still in my soul, they’re still in my mind, I haven’t forgotten them, I haven’t forgotten them.”
11. Wide of Al-Suri standing on damaged complex
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
“We celebrate only with prayers. The holiday (Christmas) was limited to prayers only, not to celebrations. Previously, there were celebrations, but with the war and the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip, the holidays were limited to prayers only, and we ask in our prayers for the end of the war and for peace and love to prevail among the nations.”
13. Wide of Al-Suri standing on damaged complex
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
“The church was bombed in one of its church complexes. The building contained ninety seven or more people present. The targeting was by occupation aircraft, which led to the martyrdom of 18 people in that incident, as well as the martyrdom of my three children, Majd, Suhail and Julie, who were children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.”
15. Wide of Al-Suri walking on damaged complex
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
“Regarding the optimism about the truce, I don’t know, but we hope that it will be a good initiative to end the war. This truce could be a source of optimism for the people of Gaza, because they have been demanding a complete and final ceasefire for 15 months.”
17. Mid of Siham Ayyad, 63-year-old, displaced from Tal al-Hawa , sitting with her granddaughter
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Siham Ayyad, displaced from Tal al-Hawa:
“It’s a difficult feeling, I don’t feel like there is a holiday, the holiday for children is through the clothes, in the church it was limited to prayers only, there are no celebrations, because we don’t feel joy, how can we be happy with the destruction around us, as you can see.”
19. Wide of damaged complex
STORYLINE:
Orthodox Christians in Gaza City marked their Christmas simply with prayers for peace.
There was no joy or celebrations.
The festivities have gone along with many of their loved ones during Israel’s war against Hamas which has killed over 45,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
At the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church people gathered for a Christmas service.
Ramez Al-Suri, 47, was among them.
He lost his three children, aged between 10 and 14, in the Israeli bombing of the church in October 2023.
After the service Al-Suri visited their graves.
He told how they had been sheltering in the church complex when it was targeted by the Israelis.
18 people died including his 3 children.
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