Palestinian Christians Observe Palm Sunday with Prayers for an End to the War

Gaza City, Palestine – Inside the sanctuary at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, Christians in the war-torn city gathered last week to observe Palm Sunday with gratitude for the chance to congregate but weary of the ongoing assault on the territory they call home.

Despite Israel and Hamas reaching a ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have continued to kill hundreds of civilians in Gaza. Now, nearly seven months after the fighting was supposed to have ended, Christians and Muslims alike struggle to observe their holy traditions while in the throes of war and grief. See our report and video from this year’s Ramadan in Gaza City.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, speaking from a pulpit adorned in olive branches in a symbol of peace, addressed the churchgoers on Palm Sunday with a plea for respite as Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues.

“We’re asking to the Lord to give us peace, justice, and the possibility to continue to live, especially for the people, the Palestinian people, in Gaza, to continue to live,” Romanelli said to those attending the service.

Father Gabriel Romanelli speaks in the courtyard of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City during Palm Sunday service on March 29, 2026.

Though the pace of bombardments and other assaults has slowed in recent months, the war on Gaza has continued to devastate the Palestinian territory. Last week’s service took place against a backdrop of audible gunfire.

For Edward Sabbagh, a Palestinian Christian in Gaza who attended the service, a mixture of emotions including gratitude and fear complicated the celebration.

“As you can hear the sounds of gunfire, yes, the war has ended, but we still live in constant anxiety,” Sabbagh told Unicorn Riot.

“We suffer despite the war’s end,” Sabbagh remarked, noting a grim distinction between his community and other Christians observing the holy day around the world.

Though the war is ongoing, Sabbagh hopes that this year’s celebration might be a first step in rekindling the joy and hope of past years’ Palm Sundays.

“Before the war, the holiday was truly wonderful,” he said. “Now, we try to experience the atmosphere of previous holidays, despite everything we are going through.”

For this year’s Palm Sunday, he offered a prayer.

“We pray that peace will prevail for everyone in Gaza, that peace will endure, and that the war will truly end,” Sabbagh said.

Christians in occupied Palestinian territories are increasingly under threat. From extremist Zionist settlers committing thousands of attacks in the occupied West Bank to extremist politicians ordering full-scale destruction of civilian targets in Gaza and beyond.

According to Father Romanelli, there was 1,017 Christians living in Gaza among 2.3 million people in Oct. 2023. Now, there’s an estimated 600 Christians still living in Gaza, spread among the three active Christian churches in Gaza City.

About 450 of the 600 Palestinian Christians in Gaza are sheltering in Holy Family after a peak of sheltering around 700 people during the war. The other 150 are sheltering in the Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrios Church and the Gaza Baptist Church.

Between 30 and 44 Christians have been killed by Israel since the war on Gaza. Last year, Father Romanelli was injured, and several people were killed after Israel struck the church for least the third time.

Help support Unicorn Riot contributor Mohamed El Saife as he seeks to get his family out of Gaza.

See Unicorn Riot’s coverage from Holy Family Church in Gaza City since October 2023.

Israel Strikes Gaza’s Catholic Church Again, Kills Three [July 2025]

Christians in Gaza Remember Pope Francis [May 2025]