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Christmas lights return to Bethlehem for the first time since the Gaza war
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Christmas lights return to Bethlehem for the first time since the Gaza war

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The Christmas spirit returned to the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ on Saturday as Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank lit up a tree for the first time since the war in Gaza began more than two years ago.
The Christmas tree, covered in red and gold baubles, which stands a few meters away from the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square, has become a symbol of hope.
At the end of a two-hour ceremony, the tree was lit to cheers, with its yellow lights twinkling and a bright red star on top shining against the cloudy night sky, illuminated by a luminous, nearly full moon.
It is the first time the city has held the usual celebrations since the outbreak of war in Gaza following the October 7 attack.

“It’s like a symbol of resilience,” said 27-year-old Abeer Shtaya, who works at Al-Zaytoonah University of Science and Technology in Salfit, West Bank.

She had traveled 100 kilometers (60 miles) with a group of university students because “we want to celebrate this and be with our brothers and sisters in Bethlehem to enjoy this day.”
“It’s a message to the world that it is calm,” said Mike Shahen, 43, from his ceramics shop on the square, after a handful of visitors came in to make purchases.
Thousands of people attended, including Christians and Muslims, with many coming from the Palestinian territories and Israel – some from even further afield – to enjoy the return of the festive atmosphere.
Nuns could be seen from one roof, while many families, including small children, filled balconies and rooftops to catch a glimpse of the illuminated tree.

Sounds of laughter filled the air as many couldn’t help but smile despite moments of rain.

A man sells coffee on the Nativity Square during the ceremony. Source: AFP / Jan Wessels

“This event has not happened in the past two years because of the war and it is quite emotional after two years of nothing but war and death,” said 50-year-old Liyu Lu, who had traveled from northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon.

Originally from China but now living in Israel for decades, she has spent recent months in Jerusalem with a group including Gary Lau, a traveling businessman and Christian.
“Being here, with the festivities, is something very fun and special,” said Lau, 51, adding that he was “absorbing the atmosphere.”

For the past two years, Bethlehem has celebrated Christmas in a more somber way, without major public festivities.

Provisional return of Christian pilgrims

However, Christian pilgrims, especially from Asia, South America and Eastern Europe, have slowly returned in recent months.

Fabien Safar, guide and director of Terra Dei, which organizes pilgrimages to the Holy Land, said some small groups would come for Christmas this year and he was already seeing some bookings for 2026.

Safar expected a real recovery in 2027, but “this obviously depends on how the situation evolves” in Gaza and Lebanon.
Despite a ceasefire in November 2024 that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, Israel has continued attacks on Lebanon.

Pilgrims “remain scared because there is no official end to the war” in Gaza, Safar said, adding that they were also concerned about the situation in Lebanon.

‘Worse than Covid’

But it has all taken a toll on Bethlehem, which had only just welcomed the return of tourists in 2022 after the Covid pandemic, before the war in Gaza broke out.
Bethlehem’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism.
“Covid was bad, but nothing compared to the last two years,” says Shahen of the ceramics shop.
Many visitors from Israel and the Palestinian territories traveled for hours to reach Bethlehem, including musician Lu.

She woke up at 6 a.m. to catch the bus at 7 a.m. with a large group. They arrived at 12:30, she said, without any problems.

War is not the only reason for the misery in Bethlehem.
Since the 2023 Hamas attack, it has become more difficult to travel around the West Bank with long queues on the roads at Israeli military checkpoints.
Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has also increased dramatically since the Gaza war. It has not stopped, despite the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began in October this year.

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