(7 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – 7 January 2025
1. Exterior of Saint Porphyrius, Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza city, bells ringing
2. Various of clergy during service
3. Pan right of destroyed church complex
4. Various of Ramez al-Suri visiting the graves of his children and his relatives UPSOUND (Arabic) “There are three people in this grave, my children, and my cousin.”
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++
“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.”
6. Close of leaves on grave
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramez al-Suri, Gaza resident, who lost his 3 children in the war:
++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++
“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.”
8. Various of al-Suri walking into church
9. Mid of woman lighting candle inside church
10. Mid of al-Suri during service
11. Various of church service
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Siham Ayyad, displaced from Tal al-Hawa:
++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++
“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.”
13. 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.
“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," he said.
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.
Speaking of Christmas, Al-Suri told how before the war there had been celebrations but now there were just prayers.
"We ask in our prayers for the end of the war and for peace and love to prevail among the nations.”
“How can we be happy with the destruction around us,” asked Siham Ayyad, also struggling amid the holiday season.
The Orthodox Christmas comes at a time when Israel and Hamas are once again struggling to reach a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage.
The enemies are under pressure from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the Jan. 20 inauguration.
The two sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse. People familiar with the talks say the latest round of negotiations has bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase.
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