VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV condemned the "senselessness" of war and the "open wounds" it leaves behind, as he delivered his first Christmas message on Thursday after a year marked by conflict but also hopes for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza.
Pope Leo, who was elected in May after the death of his predecessor Pope Francis, spoke of Gaza during a mass in St Peter's basilica, saying: "How... can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold".
"Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds," the pope said at the mass in St Peter's Basilica.
Heavy rains have battered Gaza in recent days — compounding the harsh conditions of the Palestinian territory's residents, nearly all of whom were displaced during the war.
The UN has said that an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip.
"The war, in all its forms, has been harsh on everyone living on this land," Elias al Jalda, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, said after attending a Christmas mass at Gaza's only Roman Catholic Church late on Wednesday.
"We hope this year will mark the beginning of a new phase — one defined by a complete end to the war and the return of life to Gaza," said Jalda, one of dozens attending the mass.
Rami al-Far, another attendee, said: "Our celebrations are very limited. We try to live as best we can with what we have." — AFP
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