Bethlehem prepares to mark second Christmas under shadow of war in Gaza

Описание: (24 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bethlehem, West Bank - 24 December 2024
1. Wide of Church of Nativity in West Bank city of Bethlehem
2. Mid of Church of Nativity bell tower
3. Various of policemen moving barriers in preparation for Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem's Manger Square
4. Wide of barrier
5. Worker pushing garbage cart
7. Palestinian security vehicle
8. Various of Palestinian security members
9. Anton Salman, Mayor of Bethlehem
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Anton Salman, Mayor of Bethlehem:
"Always the message of Bethlehem is a message of peace and hope. And these days, we are also sending our message to the world peace and hope. But insisting that the world must work to end our suffering as Palestinian people, to end the occupation and to give us our rights and to give us the opportunity to achieve our identity, our independence, our freedom, and to protect us from the dangers that caused by the continuous of the Israeli occupation."
11. Palestinian security members, with Church of Nativity in background
12. Wide of Manger Square, with Church of Nativity in the background

STORYLINE:
Celebrations in the biblical town, revered by Christians as Jesus's birthplace, are usually attended by thousands of people from around the world.

But this year Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas under the shadow of the war in Gaza, there are almost no tourists.

For the second consecutive year, Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations will be somber and muted, in deference to the ongoing war in Gaza.

There will be no giant Christmas tree in Manger Square, no raucous scout marching bands, no public lights twinkling and very few public decorations or displays.

"Always the message of Bethlehem is a message of peace and hope. And these days, we are also sending our message to the world peace and hope," Anton Salman, mayor of Bethlehem, stated.

"But insisting that the world must work to end our suffering as Palestinian people, to end the occupation and to give us our rights and to give us the opportunity to achieve our identity, our independence, our freedom, and to protect us from the dangers that caused by the continuous of the Israeli occupation," Salman added.

Since the war in Gaza began, tourism to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank has plummeted.

And after Israel barred entry to most of the 150,000 Palestinians in the West Bank who had jobs in Israel, the Palestinian economy contracted by 25% in the past year.

AP video shot by Imad Isseid
Production by Jalal Bwaitel

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