Hundreds filled Manger Square in Bethlehem on Saturday for the lighting of the Christmas tree — the first full celebration in more than two years after the tradition was halted by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The event, held outside the Church of the Nativity, saw crowds cheer as the giant tree lit up.
Christmas festivities are vital to Bethlehem’s economy, which has suffered deeply during the war, with businesses closing and unemployment surging. Mayor Maher Canawati said he hopes the return of these traditions will “give people hope,” as Palestinians gathered to revive a moment long muted by Israel’s war.
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