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Gazan Christians
مسيحيو غزة
The Palestinian flag
Catholics attending Mass at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City
Total population
~1,000 (2025 estimate)[1]
Languages
Arabic (Palestinian Arabic)
Religion
Christianity (Greek Orthodoxy • Roman Catholicism • Baptist Christianity)

Gazan Christians are Palestinian Christians from the Gaza Strip, a part of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

The Gazan Christian community, today concentrated in Gaza City, dates back to antiquity. The majority are autochthonous inhabitants and the rest are descendants of refugees from the 1948 Palestine war.[2] As of 2025, they reportedly number around 1,000 individuals, less than 1% of the total population of the Gaza Strip.[1]

Denominations

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There are only three churches in the Gaza Strip, all in Gaza City, which minister to each of their respective branches of Christianity: Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant.

The Church of Saint Porphyrius serves the Greek Orthodox Gazans, who make up the majority of Christians in the Gaza Strip.[1][3][4][5] The church is located in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.[3]

Catholics in the Gaza Strip number around 140 people, all Latin Catholics. The Holy Family Church is the only Catholic church in the territory.[6] It is located in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City.[7] In 1974, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem founded the Holy Family school, which has over 1,200 students. In 2000, the Rosary Sisters founded another school (kindergarten and elementary) which has around 800 students. The schools provide education to children regardless of religion, and many local Muslims send their children to the schools.[8][9]

Gaza also has a Baptist community, which is centered around the Gaza Baptist Church, founded in 1954.[10] According to its pastor Hanna Massad, prior to the Gaza war (2023–present) the Gazan Baptist population amounted to only "a handful" of adherents living in Gaza City.[11] However, during the war the number of Baptists has been reported as 60.[12] Massad has lived in exile in Jordan since 2008, when the church was damaged by an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas target across the street.[13][14][15] The church opened Gaza's first public Christian library in 2006.[16]

History

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Image of Saint Hilarion, from the Menologion of Basil II (c. 1000)

Classical period

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Christianity in Gaza originated during the Roman period, and began to expand in Gaza City and the surrounding areas by the end of the third century.[17] Saint Hilarion, considered the founder of Palestinian monasticism,[17][18][19] was born in Tabatha (now Tell Umm el-'Amr), just south of Gaza City.[17] At the First Council of Nicea in 325, Gaza City was represented by its bishop Asclepas.[17] The inhabitants of Maioumas, the main ancient port of Gaza City, converted to Christianity en masse in 331. In 335, the emperor Constantine the Great rewarded Maioumas for its adoption of Christianity, giving it the name "Constantia" and elevating its status to an independent city with its own bishop.[17] Surviving 4th century writings from ancient Gazan Christian intellectuals depict biblical accounts of creation in the style of Platonic dialogues, and incorporate neo-Platonic philosophy with Christian interpretations.[20]

Saint Porphyrius, depicted in 16th-century fresco from Mount Athos

In the late 4th century, a conflict began between pagans and Christians in the region, which sparked the occasional intervention of Roman imperial troops. In the early 5th century, Saint Porphyrius, ordained as bishop of Gaza City, obtained the edict of the emperor Arcadius authorizing the destruction of all the pagan temples in the city.[17]

Gazan paganism continued to remain strong, and widespread conversion to Christianity did not occur until the fifth century. When Porphyrius was ordained as bishop, the Christian population stood at less than 300 compared to the total Gazan population of 20,000 to 25,000. Adoption of Christianity during this period was driven through the efforts of Porphyrius and other holy men, and by the incorporation of indigenous ritual into church rites.[4] In 407, Porphyrius consecrated a large central church, the Eudoxiana (named after Arcadius' deceased wife, the empress Eudoxia), in Gaza City.[17]

The most influential of the Gazan Christian intelligentsia was Procopius of Gaza, who invented the catena, a form of biblical commentary. He is also known for his ekphrasis of Gaza City's mechanically complex clock.[20] By the end of the sixth century, Christianity had been widely adopted in the Gaza region.[4][21]

Medieval and early modern periods

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The Rashidun Caliphate conquered Gaza City in the summer of 637, during the broader Muslim conquest of the Levant from the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. The villages surrounding Gaza City were permanently abandoned, and a "new era of demographic distribution began".[17] Most of the region's population gradually converted from Christianity to Islam over the following centuries, but a Christian minority persisted in Gaza City up to the present day. Gazan Christians enjoyed a brief flourishing under Crusader rule in the 12th century.[4] Following the conquest of Mamluk Palestine by the Ottoman Empire in 1517, the Christian population of Shoubak (in present-day Jordan) migrated to Gaza, making it the largest Christian center in the region.[22]

Sulayman al-Ghazzi was a famous Gazan Christian poet and bishop during the Fatimid period. His work provides insights into the life of Melkite Christians in Palestine during the persecutions of Caliph al-Hakim and his diwan is the earliest known collection of Arabic poetry dealing specifically with Christian religious themes.[23]

Modern period

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Christians in Gaza, 2021

At the time of the 1948 Palestine war, during which both the State of Israel and the Gaza Strip (as the All-Palestine Protectorate) were established, Gazan Christians numbered 35,000 people. The expulsion and flight of Palestinians during the war resulted in the arrival of Palestinian Christian refugees in Gaza, mostly from Ramleh.[5] Soon afterwards, large numbers of Christians emigrated from Gaza.[24] By the 1960s, the number of Christians in Gaza had dropped to 6,000.[4] In 2007, the year Hamas took over Gaza, the Gazan Christian population was at 3,000.[2][25] Israel's subsequent blockade of the territory accelerated the emigration of Christians, with many going to the West Bank, the United States, Canada, or elsewhere in the Arab world.[2]

The Gaza Baptist Church was damaged by an Israeli airstrike during the 2008 Gaza War.[13][14][15] During the 2014 Gaza War, the Holy Family Church's parish school and pastor's office were partially destroyed by an Israeli airstrike aimed at a nearby house.[26] Around 2,000 Palestinians took refuge in the Church of Saint Porphyrius during Israeli bombings.[27][28] The Rosary Sisters' school was damaged by an Israeli airstrike during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.[29]

All three churches in Gaza have been subjected to attacks by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the 2023–present Gaza war. The Gaza Baptist Church was heavily damaged sometime in 2023.[12] In December 2023, two Gazan Christians, Naheda Anton and her daughter Samar Anton were shot and killed at the Holy Family Church by an Israeli sniper,[30] and the church itself was targeted by tank fire in July 2025.[31] The Rosary Sisters' school was bombed in November 2023,[32][33] and the Holy Family Catholic school was bombed in July 2024.[34] The Church of Saint Porphyrius was bombed in October 2023[35] and again in July 2024.[36]

Relations with Gazan Muslims

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Militant groups

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The relationship between Hamas and Gazan Christians has been subject to considerable scrutiny and debate. Some sources have described Christians in the Gaza Strip as effectively second-class citizens who face discrimination and harassment from Hamas.[24][37] Other sources have described Hamas–Christian relations as usually positive, cordial, or even uneventful, probably due to the influence of Palestinian nationalism and the existence of Israel as a common enemy.[21][25][38][39]

In the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, the Gazan Christian independent candidate Hosam al-Taweel, endorsed by Hamas, competed for a seat in the section of the Palestinian Legislative Council reserved for Christians,[40][41] and won.[42] Reportedly, the Gazan Christian community refused to participate in the 2025 Gaza protests against Hamas.[43]

Because of its height, the Gaza Baptist Church was repeatedly commandeered by Fatah and Hamas troops as an observation post during the early years of the Fatah–Hamas conflict that began in 2006. This resulted in several of the church staff being caught in the crossfire. In one instance, a church librarian was hit by gunfire during a firefights. On a similar occasion, the church bus driver, a 22-year-old newlywed, was killed.[44] The church was raided and temporarily seized by Fatah police in February 2007.[45]

In 2012, tensions arose between Gazan Christians and Hamas after it was alleged that five Christians had been kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam. The Muslim Scholars’ Association in Palestine, Hamas, and the converts themselves stated they had not been kidnapped or forcibly converted to Islam, but Gazan Christians remained skeptical, and began organizing near-daily protest rallies in Gaza City. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights met with and interviewed the converts, and concluded that they had converted out of their own free will.[38]

Gazan Salafi jihadist militant groups are opposed to Christianity and have attacked Christian targets.[46][47] In 2007, Jaish al Mu'minun[48][49] carried out the murder of Rami Ayyad, an affiliate of the Gaza Baptist Church who managed the only Christian bookstore in the Gaza Strip.[25] Other Salafi jihadist groups that have attacked Gazan Christians include Jaysh al-Islam[46] and Tawhid al-Jihad.[50]

Gazan Muslim civilians

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A drummer from Gaza during a Holy Saturday procession in Ramallah, 2016

Relations between Christian and Muslim civilians in Gaza have been largely peaceful.[21][24][25] Christians have been described as enjoying a "high level of integration" with the Sunni Muslim majority of Gaza.[21] On the other hand, warm Christian–Muslim relations have also been characterized as the result of "strategies of association" on the Christians' behalf to ensure their survival.[24]

Many Muslims in Gaza reportedly often celebrate Christmas alongside Christians,[21][24][51][52] despite a 2020 Hamas directive that attempted to forbid this.[24] In December 2018, a young Gazan Christian woman said that most of the attendees at her upcoming secret Santa party would be Muslim friends.[21] In December 2022, a Christian shop owner reported that most of his customers buying Christmas decorations were Muslim.[52]

Christian schools in Gaza play a central role in youth education, with most pupils being Muslim.[21][24][53] Also important is the role of the Christian-run YMCA in Gaza City, which is open to both Christians and Muslims.[2][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Israel strikes Gaza church, killing 3 and wounding priest who was close to late pope". NPR. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  2. ^ a b c d Mallinder, Lorraine (1 November 2023). "Under Israeli attack: Who are the Christians of Gaza?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  3. ^ a b "Gaza's Orthodox Church Celebrates 1,606 Years - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". Al-Monitor. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  4. ^ a b c d e Mandhai, Shafik (20 October 2023). "Israel-Palestine war: A quick history of Christianity in Gaza". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  5. ^ a b Moussa, Emad. "Gaza's Christian minority: Israel's unseen victims". The New Arab. Archived from the original on 2025-06-18. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  6. ^ Coppen, Luke. "Who are the Christians of Palestine?". The Pillar. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  7. ^ Robbins, Claire Porter (2024-01-24). "The Dilemma of Gaza's Christians". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  8. ^ "Gaza Parish - Holy Family Church". Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
  9. ^ "Gaza priest slams barbaric attack against Sisters of the Rosary". AsiaNews. 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  10. ^ Belz, Mindy (2007-05-08). "Gaza's sturdy but small Christian population confronts Islamic militancy and the Israeli blockade". WORLD Magazine. 25 (9). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  11. ^ Camp, Ken (2024-05-09). "Christian presence quickly dwindling in Gaza". Baptist Standard. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  12. ^ a b "Lone Baptist church in Gaza hard hit in war, future uncertain". Baptist Press. 2023-10-01.
  13. ^ a b Alford, Deann (2005-06-17). "Love in the Land of Enmity". Christianity Today. 49 (7). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  14. ^ a b Allen, Bob (2009-01-06). "Gaza Baptist Church caught in crossfire". Associated Baptist Press. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  15. ^ a b Kelly, Mark (2009-01-05). "Gaza Baptist Church's building sustains damage in Israeli air strike". Baptist Press. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  16. ^ Blake, Daniel (2006-11-23). "First Christian Public Library Opens in Gaza". Christianity Today.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Sadeq, Moain (December 2015). "Christian Topography of Byzantine Gaza" (PDF). International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. 5 (12).
  18. ^ Butler, Edward Cuthbert (1911). "Hilarion, St" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 458.
  19. ^ Bar, Doron (January 2005). "Rural Monasticism as a Key Element in the Christianization of Byzantine Palestine". Harvard Theological Review. 98 (01): 49–65. doi:10.1017/S0017816005000854. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  20. ^ a b Mallan, Christopher (2024-08-19). "A city at the crossroads: how Gaza became one of the great intellectual hubs of the Roman Empire". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h Macintyre, Donald (2018-12-23). "Faithful few: can Gaza's Christian community survive?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  22. ^ Feodorov, Ioana; Heyberger, Bernard; Noble, Samuel, eds. (2021). Arabic Christianity between the Ottoman Levant and Eastern Europe. Arabic Christianity texts and studies. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-46583-1.
  23. ^ Noble, Samuel (17 December 2010). "Sulayman al-Ghazzi". In Thomas, David; Mallett, Alexander (eds.). Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History. Volume 2 (900-1050). BRILL. pp. 618–622. ISBN 978-90-04-21618-1. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g "Under Caesar's Sword – Gaza". University of Notre Dame.
  25. ^ a b c d Ormestad, Catrin. "'I know how to make you a Muslim'". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  26. ^ "Bombing near the Catholic parish in Gaza. School devastated". Agenzia Fides. 2014-07-29.
  27. ^ "Greek Orthodox church in Gaza shelters Muslims fleeing war". Reuters. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Israel-Gaza conflict: Greek Orthodox church of St Porphyrios becomes a small refuge in the heart of Gaza's bloodletting". The Independent. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  29. ^ Sudilovsky, Judith (2021-05-12). "In Gaza, tiny Catholic community tries to stay in touch during airstrikes". National Catholic Reporter.
  30. ^ Berger, Miriam; Bellware, Kim (2023-12-16). "IDF kills two women taking shelter at Gaza church, Catholic authorities say". The Washington Post. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on 2023-12-17.
  31. ^ "Israeli forces strike Catholic Parish in Gaza". Vatican News. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  32. ^ "Catholic school in Gaza hit by Israeli air strike". ANSA. 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  33. ^ Balog, Amy; Lozano, Maria (2023-11-09). "Gaza: Christian homes and Catholic school among buildings destroyed". Independent Catholic News. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  34. ^ Berger, Miriam; Bellware, Kim (2023-12-16). "IDF kills two women taking shelter at Gaza church, Catholic authorities say". The Washington Post. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on 2023-12-17. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  35. ^ "Orthodox church says it was hit by Israeli air strike in Gaza". Reuters. 20 October 2023.
  36. ^ "WCC condemns attacks on St Porphyrius Church in Gaza and Golan Heights". World Council of Churches. 31 July 2024.
  37. ^ Greenwood, Phoebe (2011-12-23). "Gaza Christians long for days before Hamas cancelled Christmas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  38. ^ a b "Gaza Christians, Hamas at Odds Over Conversions to Islam - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  39. ^ "Hamas has a positive legacy with Christians but it faces a serious test". Middle East Monitor. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  40. ^ "Christian candidate on Hamas ticket". Al Jazeera. 25 January 2006. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  41. ^ "Hamas boosts image by backing Christian candidate | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2006-01-24. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  42. ^ "Palestinian Christians: 'We don't feel threatened by rise of Hamas'". IMEMC News. 2006-03-04. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  43. ^ Nelson, Jill (2025-04-11). "As Anti-Hamas Protests Gather, Christians Stay Away". Christianity Today.
  44. ^ Jansezian, Nicole (2007-06-10). "Gaza's forgotten Christians". Israel Today Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-06-12. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  45. ^ Alford, Deann (2007-02-07). "Fatah Police Seize Gaza Baptist Church". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  46. ^ a b Berti, Benedetta (2010). "Salafi-Jihadi Activism in Gaza". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. 3 (5).
  47. ^ "Radical Islam in Gaza" (PDF). International Crisis Group. 29 March 2011.
  48. ^ Irgens, Marcus Arctander (2018). "-A narrow dominion? Gaza's Salafi-Jihadis in the fallout of the Arab Spring" (PDF). University of Oslo.
  49. ^ Roggio, Bill (2012-08-03). "Hamas frees al Qaeda-linked jihadist leader in Gaza". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  50. ^ "Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Gaza)". ECFR. 2018-03-30.
  51. ^ "Muslims join Christians for Christmas celebrations in Gaza - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  52. ^ a b "In Gaza, Christian and Muslim Palestinians celebrate Christmas together". Arab News. 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  53. ^ "The Catholic schools in Gaza and the English language". Christian Media Center. 18 February 2020.
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