WEST BANK: CHRISTIANS IN GAZA CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AS FIGHTING CONTINUES BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELI SOLDIERS.

Record ID: 376150

  • Title: WEST BANK: CHRISTIANS IN GAZA CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AS FIGHTING CONTINUES BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELI SOLDIERS.
  • Date: 25th December 2000
  • Summary: GAZA (DECEMBER 24, 2000) (REUTERS, ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: TRACER FIRE OVER NIGHT SKY 0.15 GAZA (DECEMBER 25,2000) (REUTERS, ACCESS ALL) 2. LV: WIDE OF GAZA IN DAYLIGHT 0.19 3. GV/MV/CU: INTERIOR OF CHURCH WITH VARIOUS OF SERVICE AND WORSHIPPERS; SISTERS TAKING COMMUNION; WORSHIPPERS; CANDLES (7 SHOTS) 0.57 4. MCU: SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) FATHER MANUEL MUSALAM SAYING: "It is a Christmas full of fear, full of hunger, full of thirst, full of death, full of crying, full of despair, full of fear.(sic) All of that, how can we be happy in a similar situation." 1.21 5. GV/TILT/CU: TILT UP TO STATUE OF VIRGIN MARY; CLOSE UP HEAD OF VIRGIN MARY (2 SHOTS) 1.30 BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 25, 2000) (REUTERS, ACCESS ALL) 6. GV: WIDE OF MANGER SQUARE 1.42 7. GV: VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF CHURCH OF NATIVITY 1.48 8. GV/MV: STATUE OF VIRGIN MARY (2 SHOTS) 1.55 9. GV/MV: LATIN PATRIARCH MICHEL SABBAH AND PRIESTS IN PROCESSION AT ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS MASS (3 SHOTS) 2.13 10. MV: CHOIR SINGING 2.20 11. CU/ZOOM OUT: STAINED GLASS WINDOW PULL OUT TO WIDE OF SERVICE 2.27 12. GV/LAS: PRIEST READING PRAYER; CLOSE UP CROSS (2 SHOTS) 2.41 13. MCU/GV: PATRIARCH SABBAH DELIVERING SERMON; WIDE OF CHURCH SERVICE (2 SHOTS) 3.01 14. GV: TOURIST SHOPS IN MANGER SQUARE 3.07 15. GV: EMPTY STREET 3.11 16. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTIANA, HUNGARIAN TOURIST SAYING: "They don't have a celebration mood, because their people are dead." 3.20 17. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDUARD, CZECH TOURIST SAYING: "It is a little bit quiet because there are problems but we hope everything will be all right." 3.27 18. GV: WIDE OF STREET 3.33 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GAZA/ BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA1SSK3E765DQ0L3P4JR2PT0XB
  • Story Text: Christians in Gaza, a focal point of 12 weeks of
    Israeli-Palestinian tensions
    that have left 340 dead, have been celebrating Christmas after
    yet another night of fighting between Palestinian gunmen and
    Israeli soldiers.

    In Bethlehem, which should have been the scene of great
    celebration, the mood was subdued with very few of the
    visitors that had been expected to visit the scene of Christ's
    birth.



    Gaza's small Catholic community gathered for Christmas
    worship and communion on Monday (December 25). But the holiday
    and its message of peace, is at odds with the world beyond the
    church walls.

    The Gaza area has seen some of the worst scenes of
    violence and death during the three months of
    Israeli-Palestinian confrontations. Overnight, there was
    further fighting between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli
    soldiers in the city. Tracer fire lit up the night sky.

    During the past few months, the Holy Land has turned into
    a blooded land with at least 343 people, all Palestinians
    except for 13 Israeli Arabs and 30 Israelis killed in the
    weeks leading up to Christmas Day.

    One priest at the church, Father Manuel Musalam said this
    Christmas was a Christmas of blood.

    "It is a Christmas full of fear, full of hunger, full of
    thirst, full of death, full of crying, full of despair.....

    How can we be happy in a similar situation," he said.

    The morning shooting and the sounds of mourning that can be
    regularly heard outside the church reminded the worshippers
    that peace and brotherly love remain an illusion two thousand
    years later.

    The mood was similarly sombre in Bethlehem which had been
    expecting a flood of visitors and pilgrims this year but who
    haven't shown up. The violence has dashed plans of the city
    officials to hold lavish celebrations to mark the 2,000th
    anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.

    Only a handful of visitors were seen in Manger Square on
    Christmas morning. One couple from Hungary said there was no
    mood of celebration in the town.

    But the traditional Christmas Mass was held in St
    Catherine's Cathedral, although it was sparsely attended.

    Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah prayed for peace in the
    region marred by deaths and mistrust, and spoke of hope for
    the message of Jesus.

    jp/jr

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