Silent Christmas in Bethlehem; the historic city of Christ's birthplace

Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, a historic city in the occupied West Bank, where Christians believe Jesus was born, are being held for the second consecutive year with a small crowd and without the city's famous Christmas decorations. Amid the bloody war in Gaza and violence in the West Bank, there are no festive lights in this city, and the large Christmas tree that usually stands in Manger Square in the center of Bethlehem has not been erected this year. In 2019, before the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, about two million pilgrims and tourists visited Bethlehem. Jaris Qumsieh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry, says this number has now dropped to less than 100,000 in 2024. The increase in violence in the West Bank, where over 800 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have been killed recently, is the main factor behind this decline in Bethlehem's tourism. Palestinian officials do not provide a breakdown of the number of civilians and militants killed. Since the deadly attack by the extremist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, access to Bethlehem and other cities in the occupied West Bank has also been restricted, with long lines of drivers waiting to pass through Israeli military checkpoints becoming a familiar sight in the area. The United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Following the restrictions imposed by Israel in the occupied territories, over 150,000 Palestinians who previously worked in Israel daily have lost their jobs, and Israel's economy has shrunk by 25%. The cancellation of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem has dealt a severe blow to the city's economy. About 70% of Bethlehem's income comes from tourism, and nearly all of this income is dependent on the Christmas season. The Christmas morning ceremony at St. Catherine's Catholic Church, in the historic church complex in occupied Bethlehem, is significant. Bethlehem is an important center in Christian history, but Christians make up only a small percentage of the approximately 14 million population in this area, which is considered sacred among Abrahamic religions. According to the U.S. State Department, about 182,000 Christians live in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 1,300 Christians live in Gaza. In the city of Saydnaya in Syria, a large crowd gathered near the historic monastery for Christmas celebrations. This celebration has provided a rare opportunity for the residents of this city, who have endured over a decade of war, and whose famous prison was a site of torture and execution for tens of thousands of Assad regime opponents. A day earlier, the burning of a Christmas tree in the Christian town of Sqeelbiyeh near Hama sparked widespread protests among Syrian Christians. The group known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which ended five decades of Assad's rule with a swift takeover of Damascus, has announced that it will punish those who burned the Christmas tree. The Tahrir al-Sham rebels have promised to support minorities in the two weeks since Assad's fall. Meanwhile, in the Vatican, Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, began the celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ by knocking on the door of St. Peter's Basilica. These celebrations will soon coincide with the beginning of the year 2025, which the Catholic Church considers a holy year, and it is expected that over 30 million Christian pilgrims will visit the Vatican during a ceremony held every 25 years. On the sidelines of the Christmas morning ceremony at St. Catherine's Catholic Church, in the historic church complex in occupied Bethlehem, December 25, 2024.