The Christmas Tree in Gaza: A Message Spoken Through Wishes Resistant Gaza: A Soul in the Body of a Proud, Dignified Homeland

In the heart of Gaza, where pain blends with hope, the Christmas tree this year was not merely a seasonal decoration, but transformed into a message of life and a compass of joy that made the world pause in wonder and emotion. Inside the Holy Family Church in the Zeitoun neighborhood, a young girl took part in preparing the Christmas tree—not only with lights, but with dreams she hung on its branches, just as children around the world do… but with a different taste in Gaza.

Deferred Wishes Here, the tree is not adorned with shiny ornaments alone, but with postponed wishes and simple dreams that grow up too soon. Every star that was hung carried a wish for peace, and every colored ribbon was a hope for a calm night without fear. While the people of Gaza see it as a symbol of patience and clinging to life, the world looks at it as a compass of happiness, pointing to the fact that joy is still possible—even in the midst of darkness.

Despite the fragility of the truce and the persistence of anxiety, the scene of the Christmas tree in Gaza remained stronger than politics and destruction, carrying a silent message that says: we still plant joy, even in the hardest of circumstances. One tree, one little girl—but the meaning was greater than the place itself… it was the meaning of life itself.