Israel’s army has killed seven Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip including a 70-year-old woman and her son who were chased down and attacked by a quadcopter drone.
It’s raining but people are gathering. This is the first time that Bethlehem will see the Christmas tree light up in two years.
The Christmas season in Palestine lasts from the beginning of December until about the 19th of January because all of the denominations celebrate Christmas in the Nativity Church.
Right now, a lot of hope is being attached to this Christmas season because Bethlehem really needs a boost in order to survive. The past two years of war on Gaza have brought the economy to its knees.
Bethlehem is a walled-off city. Israel’s wall and illegal settlements surround it from every direction. There are dozens of gates that also cut off the city from its surroundings in the occupied West Bank and the rest of the world.
So coming here needs determination; it is not a simple trip. To go through all of those Israeli restrictions, you need to have conviction. People are hoping to convince the world that it’s time to come back to Bethlehem.
