The Jerusalem Post reports: “Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, marked a subdued Christmas, overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the devastating local economy. For the second consecutive year, the city’s Christian community faced a bleak holiday season, with rising fears about the survival of one of the world’s oldest Christian populations.

Friar Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, told The Media Line, ‘This has become an open-air prison. On top of the conflict in Gaza, people here have been struggling for 15 months without income, with restricted mobility, and no change in sight.’

The streets of Bethlehem reflected this despair. Many shops were closed, no festive decorations were present, and a few young children persistently distributed candies and small souvenirs to passersby with the goal of earning some money.

Groups of locals walked slowly toward Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity. Despite the lack of tourism, the square looked packed, given the huge number of foreign press and security forces on every corner…”