Dear Partners and Friends,

As we live the holy days of Christmas, I wish to thank you once again, from the heart, for your care, your closeness, and your continued support to the Church and the people of the Holy Land. This season invites us to consider the mystery of our Lord choosing to dwell among His people in vulnerability, truth, and love, and it is precisely in this spirit that I share this update with you.

This Christmas comes at what can only be described as a moment of truth for our people. The Christian communities of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem are facing unprecedented and prolonged challenges that threaten not only livelihoods, but the very fabric of community life and Christian presence in the land where Christ was born.

In Gaza, the situation remains catastrophic. While international media attention has diminished, the humanitarian reality continues to deteriorate. Families endure harsh winter conditions in improvised shelters, with flooding made worse by Gaza’s coastal geography and the total collapse of infrastructure. Electricity, sanitation, and clean water remain scarce. Among the more than 170 Christian families currently sheltering in our convent, only 15 found their homes still standing after the war, and even those homes are uninhabitable due to the absence of basic services. For this reason, families leave the compound only at night to sleep with some sort of privacy, returning during the day to receive food, charge their phones, and find a minimum sense of safety and community through the limited power we are still able to generate.

At the same time, the humanitarian and economic situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has sharply deteriorated. Christian families who relied almost entirely on tourism have lost their sole source of income, working permits inside Isreal are less than 10% of what they used to be before the war. Local economists and professionals confirm that 2026 is also expected to be extremely difficult, as uncertainty, fear, and instability continue to discourage travel. As a result, the Latin Patriarchate is overwhelmed by growing needs, ranging from food assistance, job creation, and medical care to support for chronic illnesses and housing. Of particular importance is the employment generation program for our youth, which remains one of the most critical tools to preserve dignity, hope, and a future for the next generation.

Attached to this message you will find our latest Appeal Report (2025), which has just been published on our website and social media. It offers a transparent and detailed account of the assistance provided thanks to your generosity, as well as the immense needs that still lie ahead. I would be deeply grateful if you could share this update within your circles.

His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa has given us very clear guidance in this difficult hour. We must intensify our efforts and ensure that our friends and supporters know with certainty that the local Church will never abandon the suffering communities entrusted to its care. This is our mission, especially at Christmas, when the light shines most clearly in the darkness.

With gratitude, prayers, and warm Christmas wishes from Jerusalem,

George

For your smart phones: https://online.flipbuilder.com/LatinPatriarchate/jcrt/

God bless,