In Gaza and the West Bank, more than 600 young people have experienced temporary relief from the horrors of war, thanks to Christian children’s camps.
Each year, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem organizes the camps with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). As fighting intensifies amid Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fully occupy Gaza City, the camps are more critical than ever.
Father Louis Salman, chaplain to the Youth of Jesus’ Homeland ministry in the West Bank, said: “The rockets started flying one day after our camp began.
“Of course, [the children] were scared, and their parents were calling us, saying they wanted them home. But we convinced them to let them stay.”
The camps provide a welcome distraction—but Salman said the fear is palpable among the children: “It was better for them to be with us than to be at home, because we were there as a community, we were having fun and helping them not to be scared. But it was still a very strange experience.”
“We would get messages from the phone network 10–15 minutes before each strike,” Salman said. “We would gather them in the hall and create a party environment, or talk to them about Jesus, so that they would not have to see the rockets overhead.”
ACN also runs camps for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Jerusalem—many of whom are undocumented migrants.
Monika Faes, lay pastoral coordinator of the Vicariate, said: “They are already traumatized with the constant fear of being deported, and now they have to spend 12 days in bomb shelters.
“So, to take them to the camps, where we have a very trauma-aware approach, is an opportunity to just let them be children again.”
She added that the camps have “given many the strength to keep walking with Jesus.”
“Some of them shared how important it was for them to have these moments connecting with God and for the pastoral team and the priests to be there.”
The UK government has announced an additional £8.5 million in aid to Gaza via the United Nations. The UN estimates that around two million Palestinians are suffering from widespread hunger.