Checkpoints, closures, and roadblocks now define the road to Bethlehem, alongside raids and clashes that have left many Palestinians wounded or killed.
Christmas celebrations returned to the biblical birthplace of Jesus after a two-year hiatus as Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank avoided them out of sensitivity to the war in Gaza.
That has meant the absence of the traditional tree-lighting ceremonies and the elaborate, blindingly illuminated decorations that draw in pilgrims from across the world.
With a fragile ceasefire still in place, the around 8,000 to 9,000 Palestinian Christians in the city revived the festivities.
Lucy Geries Talgieh, the deputy mayor of Bethlehem, told Metro that any joy and celebrations are ‘tempered by ongoing conflict, economic hardship, and security concerns.’
‘Walking through the streets of Bethlehem now feels familiar and deeply charged with emotion,’ she said.
‘The lighting of the Christmas tree in Manger Square has brought some joy back and hope, attracting locals and visitors and reviving parts of the city.
‘At the same time, the underlying mood is sober and grounded in realities of our people’s daily challenges.
‘The war in Gaza and the ongoing tensions across the West Bank are never far from people’s thoughts.
‘There is a sense of collective grief and connectedness to what is happening elsewhere in Palestine even as shops and markets attempt to function normally.’
About 1,500 people – both Palestinians and foreign visitors – attended the celebrations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Crowds of Palestinians and foreign tourists flocked onto Manger Square on the eve of December 24, and morning mass was held at the Church of the Nativity the following day.
Talgieh described Bethlehem as a ‘city of contrasts’ – one where hope and tradition are returning around cultural and religious celebrations, but also where deep reflection and grief dominate, shaped by regional conflict and loss.
She spoke to Metro days after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a military raid on the Tuqu’ village, southeast of Bethlehem.
Ammar Ta’amra, 16, died in hospital after a bullet fired by Israeli forces hit his chest.
The past year has witnessed a surge of Israeli extremist settler attacks on Palestinian communities across the West Bank.
That reached a record high in October, with 271 attacks, or about eight a day, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Palestinian Affairs.
Since October 7, 2023, and up until November 13, 2025, Israeli security forces and settlers have killed at least 1,017 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to statistics shared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Among the victims were 221 children. This does not include Palestinians who have died in Israeli detention.
During the same period, 59 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks or alleged attacks or armed clashes.
Beyond the symbolism, Bethlehem’s residents are desperately hoping that the ceasefire in Gaza will result in the return of tourists to the city.
Riham Jafari, from ActionAid Palestine, who was born in Bethlehem and has lived there her whole life, said that the increase in Israeli violence has also resulted in an economic collapse across the West Bank.
She said: ‘Life is now difficult. Similar to other Palestinian cities, Bethlehem is holy and a historical, and so it depends on tourism.
‘This situation has changed after two years of war, from a good economy, from receiving tourists … the situation was good, but of course, it was not perfect.
‘Many residents lost their source of income, whether it is tourism, hotels, souvenir shops, and from restaurants.
‘Many of the residents used to work in Israel, and since the war they lost their livelihoods. We are talking about a very difficult situation for the families and for the young people.’
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