(CNN) – Church bells echo through the maze-like streets of Bethlehem. With Christmas approaching, the city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was supposed to be crowded with visitors, but it has become almost deserted this year.
Local leaders took a decision last month to reduce celebrations in solidarity with the Palestinian population, as violent fighting intensified between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
More than 20,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli air and ground offensive, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, and nearly 85% of the Strip’s total population was displaced.
The war was sparked by the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others were taken hostage.
Many here have connections to Gaza through loved ones and friends, and a sense of misery has gripped the city revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
The decorations that once adorned the neighborhoods have been removed. Religious parades and celebrations were also cancelled. In the city centre, the huge traditional Christmas tree in Manger Square was clearly absent.
Since last October 7, Israel has imposed movement restrictions in Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities in the West Bank, with military checkpoints allowing entry and exit, affecting Palestinians trying to get to work.
The occupied territories also witnessed an escalation in violence, with at least 300 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Ali Thabet told CNN: “My son asked me why there is no Christmas tree this year, and I don’t know how to explain it.”
He and his family live in a nearby Palestinian village, and they visit Bethlehem every Christmas “because our relationship with our Christian brothers is strong. We join them in their celebrations, and they also join us in our celebrations. But the holiday season this year is very bad.”
Walking along the cobblestone streets, the impact of the conflict is clearly visible.
Bethlehem’s economy depends on pilgrims and tourism, explains third-generation shop owner Roni Tabash, who stands outside his store waiting for customers who will never arrive.
Tabash brings his father with him to the store every day to get him out of the house. His grandfather opened the store in 1927, explaining that this place, along with the square and its famous church, had become “part of our hearts.”
He adds: “We have never seen a Christmas like this before. In three months, frankly, we have not made a single sale. I don’t want to keep my father at home, and I don’t want to give up hope.”
Even the Church of the Nativity, which became the first World Heritage Site in the Palestinian territories in 2012, is largely empty. In a normal year, queues of hundreds line up around the parking lot outside and pilgrims wait patiently to enter the cave, which since the 2nd century has been considered the exact site of Christ’s birth.
In the 4th century AD, Emperor Constantine founded a church on the site, which was destroyed in 529, to be replaced by larger buildings, which form the basis of the church today.
Inside, it’s usually standing room only. But this year, the fighting in Gaza changed everything.
Father Spyridon Sammour, the Greek Orthodox priest in the Church of the Nativity, says: “I have never seen this before.”
He added: “Christmas is joy, love and peace. We do not have peace.” He added: “We have no joy, it is out of our hands, and we call on the leaders who will make the decisions (all over the world) to God to help them, and to give them His light to make peace here and in the world.” the whole world”.
#war #rages #Gaza #Christmas #celebrations #effectively #canceled #Bethlehem
2023-12-24 09:45:57
