Bethlehem Lights up Christmas Tree for First Time Since Gaza War

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

60% : (EPA) Christmas cheer returned to the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ on Saturday as Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank lit up a tree for the first time since the war in Gaza began over two years ago. Covered in red and gold baubles, the Christmas tree standing meters away from the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square has become a symbol of hope.
58% : Thousands of people attended, including Christians and Muslims, and many who traveled from Palestinian territories and Israel -- some from even further afield -- to enjoy the festive spirit return.
51% : Originally from China but now living in Israel for decades, she was with a group including Gary Lau, a traveling businessman and Christian staying in Jerusalem for the past couple of months.
50% : Many visitors from Israel and the Palestinian territories spent hours on the road to reach Bethlehem including musician Lu.
47% : "This event didn't happen for the last two years because of the war and it's quite emotional after two years of nothing but war and death," said 50-year-old Liyu Lu, who had traveled from northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon.
44% : It has not stopped despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas that began this October.
41% : Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has also surged since the Gaza war.
38% : It is the first time the city has held the usual celebrations since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.
25% : Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and militant group Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon.

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