A sad Christmas in Bethlehem amid Israel’s massacre of Palestinians Israel-Palestine conflict news

There was no Christmas celebration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday, with no Christmas tree or decorations decorating the Church of the Nativity, considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

In central Bethlehem, the Terra Sancta Scout Troop, wearing red scarves, marched down the main shopping street where vendors sell nougat and shawarma.

The sweet sound of children singing Christmas carols filled the air, holding placards that read, “We want life, not death,” and “End the Gaza genocide now!” contrasted sharply with dark messages such as

For the second year now, Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem have been overshadowed by war.

A large Christmas tree usually stands in Manger Square, opposite the Church of the Nativity, built over a cave where Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.

But just like last year, the Bethlehem municipality decided to hold modest holidays as a sign of respect for the Palestinians suffering in Gaza.

For Christians in the Holy Land, numbering about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories, prayer can offer comfort and hope for a better future.

“We will pray and ask God to end our suffering, to give this part of the world the peace we are waiting for, the peace that Jesus brought to the world,” Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman said.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem who led a mass rally in Gaza on Sunday, shared a similar message of hope as he prepared to lead a midnight vigil in Bethlehem.

“I arrived in Gaza yesterday. I saw that everything was destroyed, there was poverty and disaster,” he said.

“But I also saw life – they don’t give up. So you shouldn’t give up either. Never,” Pizzaballa added in a speech outside the Bethlehem Peace Center, a cultural venue.

“We are stronger, we belong to the light, not the darkness,” he said, standing next to a Palestinian flag. “Next year we want to see the biggest Christmas tree ever.”