Bethlehem | Israel news feed

Distance requirements from an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and a network of barriers have prevented Palestinian farmers from tilling their plots to the west of Bethlehem for over seven months

Hotels are empty in Bethlehem and other cities this year, and the worshippers are nowhere to be found. 'Christmas is about joy,' says one tour operator, 'and what is happening in Gaza is a massacre'

Located just south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all over the world who come to see the Church of the Nativity.

"We have never seen Bethlehem like this, not even during the time of COVID. The town is empty, sad."