Palestinian Christians gather at Church of the Nativity, which believed to be the birthplace of Jesus to attend Christmas ceremony in Bethlehem, West Bank, on December 24, 2019 [İssam Rimawi / Anadolu Agency] Acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (C) leads the Christmas mass at the Church of St. Catherine to mark Christmas in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 24, 2019 [Issam Rimawi / Anadolu Agency] Acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives the Church of St. Catherine to lead the ritual to mark Christmas in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 24, 2019 [Issam Rimawi / Anadolu Agency] Palestinian Christians gather at Church of the Nativity, which believed to be the birthplace of Jesus to attend Christmas ceremony in Bethlehem, West Bank, on December 24, 2019 [İssam Rimawi / Anadolu Agency] Palestinian Christians gather at Church of the Nativity, which believed to be the birthplace of Jesus to attend Christmas ceremony in Bethlehem, West Bank, on December 24, 2019 [İssam Rimawi / Anadolu Agency] Palestinian marching band performs during a parade as part of the Christmas ceremonies near Church of the Nativity, which believed to be the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem, West Bank, on December 24, 2019 [İssam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency]

Thousands of Palestinians and Christians celebrated Christmas Mass at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The midnight mass was attended by a host of Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas and foreign ambassadors.

During the Mass, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa prayed “for peace in the land of Jesus.”

He said despite the current tough times, there was a reason for hope and to celebrate the Christmas.

Braving heavy rains, thousands of Palestinians and Christians from around the world gathered in the main square outside the Church – built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born – to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas festivities are typically a boost for Bethlehem, which is surrounded by Israel’s separation wall, that cuts the city off from the rest of the occupied West Bank.

The Head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem Archbishop Atallah Hanna yesterday accused Israel of attempting to poison him. Archbishop Hanna made the remarks during an interview with the official Jordanian TV channel from a hospital in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where he was transferred for treatment.

Think about this at Christmas: Israel’s war on Palestinians targets Christians too