A sad Christmas in Bethlehem amid Israeli killings of Palestinians | News of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

With the absence of a Christmas tree or decorations adorning the Church of the Nativity, which is considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the joy of the holiday was absent in the city of Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, today, Tuesday.

In central Bethlehem, a Terra Santa Scout troop, wearing red scarves, walked down the main shopping street where vendors were selling nougat and shawarma.

The sweet sound of children singing Christmas carols filled the air, a sharp contrast to the somber messages they raised on the banners: “We want life, not death,” and “Stop the genocide in Gaza now!”

For the second year in a row, war overshadows Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem.

The large Christmas tree is usually erected in Manger Square, opposite the Church of the Nativity, which is built over a cave in which Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.

But like last year, the Bethlehem municipality decided to choose modest celebrations out of respect for the Palestinians suffering in Gaza.

For Christians in the Holy Land, who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories, prayer can offer solace and hope for a better future.

Anton Salman, mayor of Bethlehem, said: “We will pray and ask God to end our suffering, and to give this part of the world the peace we expect, the peace that Jesus brought to the world.”

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who presided over the Mass in Gaza on Sunday, shared a similar message of hope as he prepared to preside over the midnight Mass in Bethlehem.

“I just arrived from Gaza yesterday. I saw everything destroyed, the poverty and the disasters.”

“But I also saw life – they don’t give up. So you shouldn’t give up either,” added Pizzaballa in a speech outside the Peace Center in Bethlehem, a cultural venue.

Standing next to the Palestinian flag, he said: “We are stronger. We belong to the light, not the darkness.” “Next year, we want to see the biggest Christmas tree ever.”