Bethlehem in the West Bank has resumed its Christmas celebrations for the first time in over two years following the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign news agencies reported that Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank held its first public Christmas celebration in two years on 24 December 2025, after festivities had been scaled back or canceled since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza in October 2023.
On 24 December, hundreds of people flocked to this historic city, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Before the war, Bethlehem's city and its landmarks attracted Christian pilgrims worldwide, especially during the Christmas season.
In 2014, Bethlehem estimated that over 2 million tourists and pilgrims visited annually. However, in recent years, visitor numbers have declined due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, traveled to Bethlehem to join the celebrations on 24 December. As the highest leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Jerusalem, he presided over the Christmas Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
"This year, we wish for a Christmas filled with light," Cardinal Pizzaballa told reporters. "That is what we need after being engulfed in darkness for two long years. We want light."
The cardinal also acknowledged that despite ongoing issues in the region, it is time to "turn a new page in history and look forward."
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, along with his wife, attended the event and recorded a video statement from Manger Square in central Bethlehem, a common site for religious celebrations.
This square also hosts a large Christmas tree and traditionally serves as the final destination for the Christmas parade.
Maher Kanawati, the mayor of Bethlehem, told CNN that he believes it is crucial to resume the celebrations. "It means a great deal to the morale and resilience of Bethlehem's residents... because many people had nearly lost hope."
. usatoday