overshadowed by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Palestinians watching the lighting said the celebration carried a dual meaning: Hope in the Nativity and a yearning for freedom from the Israeli siege gripping Bethlehem and cities across the occupied territory. At the same time, residents say the celebrations remain dimmed by the grief over mass casualties and destruction in Gaza and Bethlehem’s economic paralysis under tightening Israeli harassment.

This year’s celebrations were limited to religious rituals, attended by church leaders and local officials who stood on a stage in Manger Square for a modest tree-lighting ceremony. Thousands gathered in the square, singing hymns and listening to choirs carolling – the only form of festivity permitted at a time many described as a mix of joy and mourning.

“The celebrations this year are unlike any before,” Reverend Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, told Al Jazeera. “Bethlehem is beautifully decorated, and the tree is lit, but there is deep sorrow inside every Palestinian. “Through these celebrations, Palestinians send a message of resilience – to say we are still here, determined to live, to keep Bethlehem the capital of Christmas, and to continue telling its story. Palestinians love life.” Bethlehem’s Mayor Maher N Canawati echoed the message, saying the municipality chose to restore the city’s Christmas lights after “a long period of darkness and silence”. “We wanted to revive hope for the people of Bethlehem and all Palestinians, and to send that hope to Gaza and to the world,” he told Al Jazeera.

Canawati stressed that Bethlehem “is open and safe”, saying it is time for the world to support Palestinians’ steadfastness. “As Bethlehem lights its Christmas tree, it … tells us that hope is a strength. But, he added: “The suffering and destruction in Gaza remain in our hearts. People remember the glimmer of light even amid devastation.” (Al Jazeera)