As the celebration of Lord Jesus Christ's birth draws near, the traditional Christmas tree lighting in various places, including Bethlehem and the Vatican, is meant as a sign of joyful expectation for the coming of salvation.

Meeting with representatives who donated the Vatican’s Christmas tree and Nativity scene December 16, Pope Leo XIV noted that the Christmas tree “is a sign of life and evokes the hope that never fails, even in the cold of winter.”

That sign is what Caritas Jerusalem was hoping to convey to Christians in the Holy Land, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, after two years of war, destruction and hopelessness.

Throughout the month of December, Caritas Jerusalem launched the “Christmas of Hope,” a campaign meant to address the “deep need to restore joy, dignity, and spiritual renewal to communities that have endured” the devastation of war.

Among the initiatives, with assistance from Caritas branches in Italy and Sweden, are Christmas celebrations, tree lightings, and providing material support and comfort to Christians in Gaza and the West Bank.

“We're doing it in Bethlehem. We’re doing it in Jerusalem, we're doing it in Zababdeh, and even in Gaza,” said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem, in an interview with OSV News December 10. “We want to replant hope within the Christian community over here in the Holy Land.”

While a ceasefire brokered in October remains in place, Asfar told OSV News that the agreement remains “fragile.”

 “People now, after the ceasefire, are starting to understand what has happened to them and are starting to process what happened, so it's not an easy situation,” he told OSV News.

He also noted that many, including Caritas staff, have fled Gaza to other countries. Nevertheless, those who remain in are doing their best to “replant hope within this community” during the Christmas season.

“We want to be with them. We want to make the wonderful children in Gaza smile, but we can't do so if we are not allowed to bring toys into Gaza. We are not allowed to bring books or paintings or even pencils and drawing, supplies, or stationery into Gaza.”

Asfar expressed his appreciation to Pope Leo, who “sees the struggle of the people in Gaza and understands very well the situation in the churches of Gaza where people have lost their houses,” including 560 individuals currently sheltering “in both the Latin compound and the Orthodox compound.”

“The Holy Father understands well the situation as it is conveyed by our cardinal over here to him, and also he communicates, not so often, but with the Holy Family parish priest (Father Gabriel Romanelli) to get firsthand information on what’s happening on the ground,” he said.

Despite the difficulties, Asfar expressed his gratitude to Catholics worldwide for their solidarity and prayers, noting that “we feel very weak” without them.

He also expressed hope that the support of Catholics would continue in the coming year as Caritas Jerusalem prepares to launch a new appeal in the hopes of establishing “mobile clinics” in Gaza, as well as rehabilitation efforts and providing prosthetics for those who have lost limbs during the war.

“We couldn’t convey the love of the Gospel to others without their support, whether with their prayers or with their financial support,” he said.