Churches in Bethlehem, the reputed birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank decided to keep only religious rituals and cancel all other celebrations for the current Christmas season to show sympathy to the Palestinians suffering from Israeli attacks and siege.

Bethlehem mayor Hanna Hanania told Xinhua that this Christmas is completely different from previous ones as the holiday has been shrouded in a sad atmosphere due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip and the widespread closure of West Bank cities under Israeli siege.