Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war

Hundreds of worshippers gathered for mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Wednesday night as the Palestinian city ushered in its first festive Christmas in more than two years, emerging from the shadow of the war in Gaza. Throughout the conflict that began with Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, a sombre tone had marked Christmases in the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.