Thousands gathered in Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, where the giant Christmas tree has returned. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa opened the celebrations, calling for a "Christmas full of light" despite the consequences of the war in the region.
Thousands of people gathered in Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve as families welcomed a much-needed influx of holiday cheer. The giant Christmas tree, which was absent during the war between Israel and Hamas, has returned, UNN reports with reference to AP.
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In the city where Christians believe Jesus was born, Christmas celebrations have been canceled for the past two years. Instead, a nativity scene with baby Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire was set up in Manger Square, in deference to the situation in Gaza.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, opened this year's celebrations during the traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, calling for a "Christmas full of light."
Arriving in Manger Square, Pizzaballa said he came with greetings from the small Christian community in Gaza, where he held mass on Sunday. In the destruction, he saw a desire for reconstruction.
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"We all decided together to be light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world," he told thousands of people, Christians and Muslims.
Despite the festive mood, the consequences of the war in the Israeli-occupied West Bank are acutely felt, especially in Bethlehem, where, according to local authorities, about 80% of the city's Muslim-majority residents depend on tourism-related businesses.
The vast majority are locals, with only a small number being foreigners. But some residents say they are starting to see signs of change as tourism gradually returns.
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