Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Jalal Bwaitel and Melanie Lidman at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
Christmas celebrations have returned to Bethlehem after two years of subdued observances, bringing renewed hope and economic relief to the city following a ceasefire in Gaza that began in October.
Some key facts:
• The midnight Mass at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity will feature the traditional hymn “The Night of Christmas” with lyrics stating “war is buried” and “love is born.”
• Bethlehem’s unemployment rate surged from 14% to 65% during the Gaza war, devastating the city’s tourism-dependent economy.
• Approximately 80% of Bethlehem’s Muslim-majority population depends on tourism-related businesses for their livelihood.
• Around 4,000 people have left Bethlehem in search of work during the war, contributing to the declining Christian population in the region.
• Christians now account for less than 2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents, and their numbers continue to shrink.
• Manger Square’s Christmas tree was lit for the first time in two years this month, drawing crowds to the festive market and celebrations.
• Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high in the West Bank with frequent Israeli military raids and settler attacks reaching their highest levels since 2006.
• In previous years, churches created protest Nativity scenes depicting the infant Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire.
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