Palestinian security forces were deployed around the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem in the West Bank on Tuesday, as worshipers prepared for another solemn Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza.
An unusual peace has engulfed Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city, dominated by the iconic church that marks the spot where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.
An AFP reporter observed that the white-walled complex and its surrounding plaza were empty, except for a few vendors selling coffee and corn and a significant contingent of journalists.
For the second year in a row, the decorations and bustling tourist and pilgrim crowds that are staples of Christmas past were missing, reflecting the somber mood caused by the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
The fighting in Gaza – which separates a large section of Israeli territory from the occupied West Bank – began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Traditionally, a grand Christmas tree would light up Manger Square, but local officials opted to forego elaborate celebrations for the second year running.
“This year we limited our happiness,” Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman told AFP.
“We want to focus on the Palestinian reality and show the world that Palestine is still suffering from Israeli occupation, still suffering from injustice.”
Prayers, including the church’s famous midnight mass, will still be held in the presence of the Latin Patriarch of the Catholic Church, but celebrations will be of a more strictly religious nature than the festive celebrations once held in the city.
Despite the somber mood, some Christians in the Holy Land – who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories – are finding refuge in prayer.
Salman said, “Christmas is a festival of faith… We will pray and pray to God to end our sufferings.”
– No tourists, no business –
Vendors in front of the Bethlehem Peace Center, the local municipality building, waited in vain for customers behind pots filled with steaming coffee.
Mohammed Awad, 57, has been selling coffee for more than 25 years beneath the Mosque of Omar, whose beautiful minaret sits just opposite the Church of the Nativity.
The salesman lamented, “Business was good before the war, but now there is none.” “I hope the war in Gaza will end soon and tourists will return.”
Although most of the streets were quiet, a handful of visitors could be seen in the area.
“On the one hand, it’s sad that there are so few people,” said Christiana von der Tann, a German woman who came with her husband to spend the holidays with their journalist daughter in Tel Aviv.
“But then you can access the Church of the Nativity because you can go in freely… that’s the advantage.
“But it’s very sad for the people here, it’s very sad that they can’t sell their stuff. They’ve had to face really tough times.”
Violence has escalated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the war in Gaza began, but Bethlehem has remained largely quiet, even though the fighting has taken a heavy toll on the now predominantly Muslim city.
Foreign tourists, on whom Bethlehem’s economy is almost entirely dependent, stopped coming because of the war. And increasing restrictions on movement as Israeli checkpoints are also preventing many Palestinians from visiting.
“Last night, there was a rocket attack in Tel Aviv and it was a little scary,” Tan said.
“We had to go into a shelter. That was a special experience. You don’t forget you’re in a country at war.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
