As conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza, there are an estimated 600 Christians remaining in the territory attempting to salvage what is left of their homes and to encourage one another.
In a recent interview with Open Doors, a Christian man, who preferred to remain anonymous, described what daily life is like for believers who remain in the region, with most living in tents under the shelter of church buildings and struggling to acquire basic necessities.
He described people’s spirits as “crushed” amidst the seemingly never-ending war, with “no sense of safety” anywhere in the strip, and fear in the streets, where you can barely move around because of the number of tents, which have replaced actual homes.
Some Christians recently returned to their homes during the now-defunct ceasefire between the warring factions. However, the man revealed that believers returned to find that about 80% of their homes had been “completely destroyed”, with others needing major repairs and having been looted by thieves.
He described how every day sees believers he lives alongside pray together before breakfast, then try to follow the news, despite a lack of phone service and internet.
Most rarely venture out from the shelter of church buildings for fear of bombings. Their time is spent cleaning their rooms and airing their mattresses, as well as trying to acquire essentials like water, milk and diesel, which he described as the hardest task they face, due to the lack of resources and “skyrocketing” prices.
He said: “Life is very hard. Even basic things are unavailable, like medicine. The lack of infrastructure, no proper sewage system – it all leads to outbreaks of disease. Clean water isn’t even available for children. We’d search the entire city just to find a can of milk for a baby. For elderly people, we’d go from pharmacy to pharmacy to find medicine at outrageous prices. It’s a horrible feeling.”
Gaza’s small Christian population is heartbroken by what has happened to the territory over the last 18 months. The man believes the strip would now be unrecognisable for people who had visited Gaza before the conflict broke out.
“Everything beautiful about Gaza is gone,” he said. “We used to invite people to Gaza. It had restaurants, tourism, the beach – all of it vanished overnight. I advise those who have visited Gaza before to hold onto those beautiful memories, because it’s all gone now.”
The man also spoke about the lack of hope concerning the seemingly endless war that is taking its toll on relationships around him. He told Open Doors that the situation leaves them feeling “terrible,” as there appears to be “no light at the end of the tunnel”, which has led to some previously good relationships between believers becoming fractious as people became emotionally exhausted over time.
However, despite all that they have faced, he still believes there is hope for the church in Gaza, but admits it will face new and difficult challenges as it looks to endure and rebuild. He said: “Currently, we are about 600 people, down from just over 1,000. The church in Gaza will remain, and if Christians remain there will still be life, but it will be difficult.
“Marriage among young Christians in Gaza will become very hard due to the small population. Marriages between relatives may increase, possibly leading to future health issues.
“The Bible says: ‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.’ We must endure the cross and carry it. Our cross is heavy because the war has been very hard on us … Please remember us in your prayers.”
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