Bethlehem: Small Christmas procession held despite Gaza war

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem led a Christmas procession to the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.

The procession was much smaller than previous years, with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa only being accompanied by some Franciscan monks and a handful of other believers.

Pizzaballa is the highest representative of the Catholic Church in Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, and Cyprus.

Bethlehem is usually visited by tens of thousands of international pilgrims around Christmas. This year there have been hardly any arrivals.

Tourism accounts for 70% of the West Bank town's economy, most of which is seasonal and related to Christmas pilgrimage. Local officials say over 70 hotels in Bethlehem have been forced to close, leaving thousands unemployed.

The territory's economy has also been hit by Israel canceling work permits for Palestinians after the October 7 Hamas attack.

In November, the heads of the churches in Jerusalem decided that there would be no Christmas decorations in the Holy Land due to the war between Israel and Hamas.

"This year, without the Christmas tree and without lights, there's just darkness," Vietnamese Franciscan monk John Vinh was cited by the AP news agency as saying.

The procession began at the Jaffa Gate of the historic Old City of Jerusalem.

Midnight mass is held in Bethlehem's historic Church of the Nativity, which is considered to be the place of Jesus' birth in Christian tradition.

A large Christmas tree that is usually visible in front of the church during Advent was missing this year.

On the way to Bethlehem, the procession stops at Rachel's Tomb, which is a shrine revered by Christians, Jews and Muslims.