Thousands flocked to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas for the first time since the implementation of the US-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who has been the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, kicked off the celebrations during a traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, calling for “a Christmas full of light.” The Associated Press reported. Upon his arrival at Manger Square, named for the manger where Christian tradition says Jesus was laid after his birth, Pizzaballa said he arrived with greetings from the Christian community in Gaza, where he held a pre-Christmas mass on Sunday, the AP reported.
“All of us together we decide to be the light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world,” Pizzaballa told the crowd, according to the AP.
BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS TO RESUME CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AFTER THE WAR FORCES A TWO-YEAR BREAK
People gather next to the Christmas tree in Manger Square on the day of the Christmas events with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Christmas Eve, in the Old City of Bethlehem in the West Bank, December 24, 2025. (Mussa Qawasma/Reuters)
In November, Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati announced that Christmas celebrations would return to the city.
“From the heart of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, the city of peace – we rekindle the flame of hope and lift up our prayers for peace,” Canawati said in a video on Instagram.
“Let us celebrate the message of Christmas together,” he added. “Glory to God in the highest – on earth, peace, goodwill to all. Bethlehem keeps the light alive.”
Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, began its Christmas festivities on December 6 with the city’s first Christmas tree lighting since 2022.
“We came to celebrate, to watch and to enjoy, because we haven’t had a chance for years,” Randa Bsoul, a Palestinian from Haifa, Israel, told Reuters at the time.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa attends Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
HISTORIC ITALIAN VILLAGE CREDITED FOR THE FIRST OF ITS KIND CHRISTMAS ATTRACTIONS FOR 800 YEARS
Bethlehem, over which the Palestinian Authority has limited control due to the Oslo Accords, has seen few or no Christmas celebrations in the past two years due to the war in Gaza. During the war, a nativity scene of the baby Jesus was displayed on Manger Square, surrounded by rubble and barbed wire, as a tribute to the situation in Gaza.
During the war, Bethlehem, which relies on tourism, saw a huge drop in visitors. Canawati said earlier this month that the city’s unemployment rate rose from 14% to 65%, according to the AP. In addition, poverty in Bethlehem soared, with approximately 4,000 people leaving in search of work.
Clergy stand on the day the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, attends Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
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The US-brokered ceasefire deal has largely remained in place despite both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement. Recently, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said preparations for the second phase of the plan were in full swing, following high-level talks in Miami with representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
