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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jalal Bwaitel and Melanie Lidman

Christmas decorations – and tourists – return to Bethlehem in needed boost to economy

Bethlehem Gaza Jesus Christ the West Bank United Nations
People pose for a picture in Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) -

At midnight on Christmas Eve, the words of the traditional hymn “The Night of Christmas” will ring out in the tiny grotto in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

“On the night of Christmas, war is buried, On the night of Christmas, love is born,” a local choir sings each year during the midnight service. As they rehearsed ahead of this year's service, many choir members said the words echoed with deeper meaning following the ceasefire in Gaza.

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