In this article, we will talk about the celebrations of Christmas in the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank amidst the war between Israel and Hamas. We will also cover some major events and important positions reflecting these difficult circumstances.
Main Events
The Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, spoke at the midnight mass at St. Catherine’s Church in Bethlehem, saying “We do not want a ceasefire, we want hostilities to end… We must stop this nonsense.”
In his speech at the end of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis said “Our hearts are in Bethlehem,” condemning the rejection of peace “by the logic of the false war.”
On Christmas Day, the Pope reiterated his calls for the cessation of hostilities, noting that the fighting in Gaza leads to a “terrible toll of innocent civilian casualties,” stating that the children killed in the conflict are “the little Jesus of today.”
Muffled Celebrations in Bethlehem
Typically, the streets of Bethlehem are bustling with foreign tourists and musical bands during the holidays, but last weekend the streets were completely empty due to the cancellation of celebrations because of the war.
Some locals in Bethlehem protested the Israeli military operation by designing and setting up nativity scenes depicting bodies wrapped in white cloth and the baby Jesus in a cradle.
Positions of Political Leaders
In his Christmas message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Hamas’s attack on October 7 on southern Israel, which triggered a massive Israeli invasion of Gaza, writing in a tweet “There is no peace on earth, at least not in our part, and certainly no goodwill toward all people.”
In conclusion, the Pope said in his Christmas speech “May peace come to Israel and Palestine, where war destroys the lives of these peoples. I embrace them all, especially the Christian communities in Gaza and all of the Holy Land.”
For more information, you can read the following articles:
- Christmas in Bethlehem resembles a ghost town due to the war between Israel and Hamas (Associated Press)
- In his Christmas message, the Pope condemns the “terrible toll from Gaza” of civilian casualties (Reuters)
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