Gaza’s Christians face famine, displacement amid fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire; aid trickles in, churches at breaking point, ancient community at risk.
Newsroom (31/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) The Oct. 13 Israel-Hamas ceasefire, sealed during President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel and Egypt, has failed to ease the dire plight of Gaza’s dwindling Christian community, with aid deliveries faltering, civilian deaths persisting, and a collapsed infrastructure threatening the enclave’s ancient Christian presence.
Joseph Hazboun, regional director for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission (CNEWA) in Jerusalem, warned in an Oct. 28 press update that “a significant number of civilians have been killed since the ceasefire began, each death justified by flimsy excuses.” He described aid flows as “being strangled,” with food trucks consistently falling short of agreed volumes despite nonsensical justifications.
Only 596 Christians—207 families—remain in Gaza, according to local sources cited by Hazboun. Of these, 214 people (71 families) shelter at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, while 382 (136 families) rely on the Holy Family Church. With neighborhoods in ruins, these churches are stretched to breaking point, providing refuge amid famine risks and a nonfunctional health system.
“The most immediate threat is famine, as humanitarian aid such as food has only just begun to trickle into the Gaza Strip,” Hazboun said. “This dependence is stretching the churches’ limited resources and fragile security to a breaking point.”
CNEWA has launched a comprehensive survey to assess survivors’ locations, home damage, and urgent needs to guide emergency interventions. “Gestures of solidarity are crucial,” Hazboun stressed, “as a signal to the people that we are with them… and we will stand by their side through the profoundly challenging phase to come.”
The enclave remains effectively bisected, with Israel controlling Rafah, eastern Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Beit Hanun, and Beit Lahia. Palestinians can move freely in just 50% of the territory; the rest is off-limits.
Aid Gains Hampered by Restrictions
Between Oct. 11 and 22, 1,098 trucks delivered food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits, and medical supplies, CNEWA reported. The U.N. Food Security Sector now serves over 1 million hot meals daily, while nine U.N.-backed bakeries in central and southern Gaza produce more than 100,000 bread bundles each day, with six northern facilities recently reopened.
Severe child malnutrition has dropped from 14% to 10%, and more than 150 clinics and mobile units now target at-risk groups. Winter preparations include 29,000 blankets distributed and 1,200 tents delivered on Oct. 23 alone across 245 sites hosting nearly 1 million displaced people.
Yet Israeli authorities have rejected aid submissions, deeming some organizations unauthorized for specific items. In areas like Jabalya and Beit Lahia, returnees lack drinking water, toilets, food, and pest control.
Since the ceasefire’s start, 533,000 people have been displaced, per CNEWA. The Gaza Health Ministry reports 165 bodies of deceased Palestinian detainees returned by Israel, with media estimates reaching 195. Thirteen Israeli hostage bodies remain in Gaza; the total deceased stands at 15 as of Oct. 21.
Long-Term Crises Loom
For two years, Gaza’s children have had no formal education. Forty southern classrooms now operate in tents, alternating between learning and mental health sessions, but 103 schools remain occupied as shelters, and educational supplies face entry bans.
Aid groups reach 1,500 children and caregivers daily with psychosocial support; thousands of women and girls have received counseling. Nearly 3,000 people have been trained to avoid explosives. A new safe space for women and girls opened at Nasser Medical Complex.
Hazboun, who has led CNEWA’s response since the war began, cautioned that large-scale planning is stymied by Israel’s border control and veto over access. “Critical questions remain unanswered: Will reconstruction truly be allowed? Will essential materials and supplies be granted entry?” he said, referencing stalled rebuilding after the 2014 conflict.
“Now, a different struggle begins for the Gazans returning to their demolished homes,” Hazboun concluded. “They remain, but amidst near-total destruction: no infrastructure, no schools, no water, no homes, no electricity, no hospitals, no hygiene.”
With winter approaching and no timeline for phase two of the peace plan, Gaza’s Christians—and its broader population—face an uncertain wait for meaningful recovery.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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