This year, Christmas in Syria carries a bittersweet tone.

For the second straight Christmas this year, Christians in Gaza endure the Israeli genocidal war with their main churches reduced to rubble and many killed in the war.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry extended Christmas and New Year greetings to Christians worldwide, including those in Iran, describing it as an opportunity to remind ourselves of Christ's call for justice and peace.

Christians in Lebanon say they will celebrate Christmas.

The UK Home Office suspended the processing of asylum applications for thousands of Syrians after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

Christ is still under the rubble in Gaza as the besieged Palestinian territory is being annihilated, Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac said in his annual Christmas message.

Christmas is usually accompanied by words like spirit, magic, joy, and cheer, but in Gaza, it comes with tragedy, death, loss, and despair, thanks to the Israeli regime’s genocidal campaign desecrating yet another holy day.