GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Elias al-Jalda and his family will be celebrating Christmas at home in Gaza City this year, after the Hamas-led government, which controls the Gaza Strip, announced a lockdown Dec. 10 to stem the surge of coronavirus cases that are threatening the enclave’s already fragile health-care system.
Jalda, 54, his wife Reem, 43, and their three sons celebrate Christmas each year. “On Saint Barbara’s day on Dec. 17, we would prepare a traditional dish made of wheat and nuts, which carry a religious connotation. We would distribute dishes to our family, friends and acquaintances — even among Muslims — but this year we did not,” Reem told Al-Monitor.