Bethlehem Lights Christmas Tree After Two-Year Pause

Bethlehem, West Bank—For the first time in two years, crowds gathered in Manger Square on Saturday evening to watch the lighting of a towering Christmas tree, marking a tentative return of holiday celebrations in the city traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Jesus. The event, held amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, drew local residents, church leaders, and a small number of visitors to the Israeli-occupied West Bank city, signaling cautious optimism after prolonged economic hardship and conflict.

The ceremony featured prayers for peace, hymns from choirs, and a moment of silence for victims of the Gaza war, which began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's subsequent military offensive in Gaza has resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the territory's health ministry. In Bethlehem, authorities had canceled major festivities the past two Christmases due to the violence and its ripple effects. This year's scaled-back event included decorations along streets and religious rituals, attended by thousands despite rainy weather and security barriers.

Tourism, which supports about 80 percent of Bethlehem's Muslim-majority...