Israeli police arrested a Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus during a raid on a Christmas party in Haifa, according to a civil rights monitor. Officers closed the event on Sunday, confiscating equipment and also arresting a DJ and a street vendor. Video footage shows police pushing the men to the ground and handcuffing them as bystanders watched.
The Israeli police stated that the man in the Santa costume resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. However, the Mossawa Center, a rights group advocating for Palestinian citizens of Israel, said police used excessive force and conducted the raid without legal authority.
The arrests occurred as Palestinians celebrated Christmas across the occupied West Bank and Gaza amid ongoing restrictions by Israeli forces. In Bethlehem, celebrations were held for the first time since the Gaza war began, with marching bands and carol singing. In Gaza, a small Christian community marked its first Christmas since a shaky ceasefire, with Christmas trees and glitter amidst the rubble.
Israeli attacks continued despite the holiday. Settlers uprooted olive groves near Ramallah, and soldiers stormed homes and confiscated vehicles near Hebron, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Attacks on Christians have been rising, with a March report documenting 32 attacks on church properties and 45 physical assaults.
In his first Christmas address, Pope Leo condemned the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands live in tents in cold and rain. He referenced Jesus being born in a stable, saying it showed God had 'pitched his fragile tent' among the people, and lamented 'the defenceless populations, tried by so many wars.'
