Christmas celebrations were in full swing in the West Bank city of Bethlehem for the first time since the start of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

During the war, celebrations in the city, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, were canceled or played down, out of respect for the thousands of people who lost their lives in Israeli attacks.

The mayor of Hanna Hanania, of Bethlehem, told Anadolu that the municipal authorities launched a campaign a month ago to send a clear message to the world that “peace is the only way in the land of Palestine”. to celebrate Christmas.

Bethlehem was resettled in Manger Square after celebrations had been banned due to the war in Gaza.

Pilgrims and tourists gathered to take pictures near the tree and the Church of the Nativity, while children played nearby.

“We have come today happy for Christmas, full of hope and praying for peace,” said George Sobuh, a Palestinian resident, as he accompanied his family to church.

“Peace to the land of peace, the land of Christ,” he said.

Father Issa Thaljieh of the Greek Orthodox Church said the message of Christmas in Bethlehem this year is a message of love and peace to the world.

He noted that the atmosphere feels different this year with the return of the Christmas tree and the participation of Palestinians from inside Israel, alongside tourist delegations. visiting.

However, he said the joy remains incomplete as long as Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 71,000 people have been killed by the Israeli war, continue to suffer.

Groups of scouts paraded in Manger Square before the ceremonial reception of the Latin Patriarch of Quds, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in the presence of Palestinian officials and crowds.

Celebrations of Christmas for Western Christians culminates with Midnight Mass on the night of December 24–25 at the Church of the Nativity, while Eastern churches will celebrate Christmas on January 7.

Source: prizrenpost