For the first time since 2022, Bethlehem witnessed public Christmas Eve celebrations as thousands gathered in Manger Square, marking a tentative return to tradition in the occupied city. The festivities, previously canceled or scaled back in respect for Gaza’s thousands of war dead, featured a restored Christmas tree replacing last year’s symbolic nativity scene that depicted baby Jesus amidst rubble and barbed wire.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest Catholic authority in the Holy Land, led the ceremonies after arriving from Jerusalem in the traditional Christmas procession. He called for “a Christmas full of light” as scouting groups from across the West Bank marched through Bethlehem’s streets, their bagpipes adorned with tartan patterns and Palestinian flags.
The celebrations occurred against a backdrop of severe economic hardship and ongoing military operations. Bethlehem’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed from 14% to 65% since the conflict began, prompting approximately 4,000 residents to leave in search of employment elsewhere. Tourism, the city’s economic cornerstone, remains paralyzed by military checkpoints, road closures, and movement restrictions that deter visitors.
Despite a fragile ceasefire in October that has been repeatedly violated, Israeli forces continue near-daily raids across the West Bank involving mass arrests, home searches, demolitions, and occasional lethal violence. This year has seen settler attacks against Palestinians reach their highest level since UN record-keeping began in 2006, with incidents including killings, assaults, and property destruction often occurring under military protection.
In a controversial move, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to formalize 19 illegal settlements in the West Bank, drawing sharp condemnation from the UK, Canada, Germany, and other nations. These governments issued a joint statement warning that such unilateral actions violate international law and heighten instability risks. Meanwhile, over 570 Israeli settlers under police escort entered Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque complex, an act Palestinians view as violating the historic status quo of Islam’s third holiest site.