A Christmas Without a Tree: From the Nakba to the Gaza War, Uncle Tony spends another abandoned Christmas

In the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, Mr. Tony Al-Masry, known as “Abu Asaad,” sits with his wife and his neighbor Hossam in front of their small tent. They sip coffee and remember the Christmas celebrations they missed for another year.

The 78-year-old was first displaced during the Nakba in 1948 from his hometown of Haifa, where he was born in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. His family was forced to flee to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, where he lived in Dbayeh camp, before fate wanted him to become a resident of the Gaza Strip. Speaking to the UN News team, he said: “This is not the first time I have lost my home and my loved ones.”

Uncle Tony recalls the happiness and joy that filled the Gaza Strip during the holiday season before the seemingly endless war. He said: “We were celebrating Christmas. We went to church to perform religious rituals and exchange congratulations. The priest – the sect’s pastor – was present among us in the church square. Our neighbors in Gaza City used to greet us every year. I used to travel to Bethlehem to visit my children and grandchildren, but now, for the year Second, we were deprived of holidays because of the war.”

Abu Asaad said that he was decorating the Christmas tree with his wife, Amal Abboud, during this glorious season, and they stayed up late on Christmas Eve after buying maamoul, cakes, and other sweets.

He added: “Celebrations start after midnight. We used to prepare our dinner, sit together, and have my sons and daughters next to me. But now, there is no one here. My wife and I will sit alone to celebrate, and we have no one else here. This is the hardest thing for me now.”

Situations that erased the joy from faces

Aunt Umm Asaad confirms that every day in the Gaza Strip poses a challenge since the war began approximately 15 months ago.

She said: “There is no joy, no smile, no holidays, nothing. We are currently defying time. While you are sleeping at night, you suddenly hear a strong explosion. You jump and get up like an epileptic woman. You do not know what to do. You collect yourself and cry, but you cannot sleep after that. There is no “A safe place to sleep. There is no life and nothing to make you happy and comfortable.”

The family of your choice

Despite the harsh conditions, the solidarity of Muslim neighbors in the camp west of Khan Yunis offers a glimmer of hope. Mr. Hossam Al-Khalili was Uncle Tony’s neighbor in Gaza City. After his family was displaced to Rafah, he inquired about his Christian neighbor, and was told that he was in Khan Yunis. Then he decided to move to the area to be near him.

Hossam told UN News: “He is like a father. I brought him close to me in the camp because he is an old man, and he needs someone to take care of him and his wife. I brought him close to me so that my children and I can support him, we eat and drink together, and we live as one family. Everything he needs, I and my children help him, including going To the market to shop.

May peace prevail

While Uncle Tony felt nostalgic for better days, he expressed his hope that peace would prevail and the war would end soon.

And he said: “I hope that the year 2025 will be a good year for all peoples, especially the Palestinian people. I hope that the bloodshed and wars will stop, and that people will experience the joy of Eid again. May God have mercy on all those who lost their lives in the war. My wish is that the beautiful days we used to live will return, and that I will travel To see my grandchildren, daughters and sons is my greatest wish.”