For two years during the Gaza war, all public Christmas celebrations were cancelled in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. But after the recent ceasefire, the holy city - where Christians believe Jesus was born - decided to light up its traditional Christmas tree. "It's been a bad two years of silence; no Christmas, no jobs, no work…This is the light of hope for us,” said Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati. The mayor accepted that resuming celebrations might be seen as “not appropriate”, as suffering continues in Gaza. In the past two years, unemployment has skyrocketed in Bethlehem. Since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023 which triggered the war, tens of thousands of Palestinian labourers from the West Bank have been blocked from entering Israel and its settlements for work. Tap the link in BBCNews’s bio to read how locals and tourists reacted to the idea. (📷 Reuters/Epa) #Bethlehem #Christmas #BBCNew