This is an entry from: Live: Israeli forces withdraw from Netzarim Corridor
No Christmas cheer in Bethlehem for second year amid war on Gaza
25 December 2024 15:19 GMT
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem marked a sombre Christmas for the second consecutive year in solidarity with Gaza, where the Israeli onslaught has killed 45,000 people in over a year.
No festive lights or Christmas trees were put up in the city as the holy day for Christians was limited to religious rituals and prayers.
Manger Square, the centre of Bethlehem traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, was unusually quiet.
“Every year, there are scouts, a choir, decorations, a tree is raised, carols are sung, and celebrations take place,” Father Issa Thaljieh, a Greek Orthodox parish priest in Bethlehem, told Middle East Eye.