Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive
Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive/node/2584216/middle-east
Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive
Fighters with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) inspect damaged and abandoned military vehicles and equipment at the Qamishli international airport, formerly a joint Syrian-russian military base, in northeastern Syria's city of Qamishli on December 9, 2024. (AFP)
Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive
The Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says since the SNA’s offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds started earlier this month, dozens from both sides have been killed
Updated 22 sec ago
AP
QAMISHLI, Syria: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Tuesday they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with Turkiye.
The SDF is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells of the extremist Daesh group scattered across the country’s east.
Since the fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified between the US-backed group and the SNA, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it.
The intense weekslong clashes come at a time when Syria, battered by over a decade of war and economic misery, negotiates its political future following half a century under the Assad dynasty’s rule.
Ruken Jamal, spokesperson of the Women’s Protection Unit, or YPJ, under the SDF, told The Associated Press that their fighters are just over seven miles away from the center of Manbij in their ongoing counter-offensive.
She accused Ankara of trying to weaken the group’s influence in negotiations over Syria’s political future through the SNA,
“Syria is now in a new phase, and discussions are underway about the future of the country,” Jamal said. “Turkiye is trying, through its attacks, to distract us with battles and exclude us from the negotiations in Damascus.”
The Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says since the SNA’s offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds started earlier this month, dozens from both sides have been killed.
Ankara sees the SDF as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. Turkish-backed armed groups alongside Turkish jets for years have attacked positions where the SDF are largely present across northern Syria, in a bid to create a buffer zone free from the group along the large shared border.
While the SNA was involved in the lightning insurgency — led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham — that toppled Assad, it has continued its push against the SDF, seen as Syria’s second key actor for its political future.
On Monday, the SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said the group’s forces pushed back the Turkish-backed rebels from areas near the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates, a key source of hydroelectric power. He said the SDF also destroyed a tank belonging to the rebels southeast of Manbij.
The British-based war monitor said on Tuesday that the Kurdish-led group, following overnight fighting, has reclaimed four villages in the areas near the strategic dam.
Turkish jets also pounded the strategic border town of Kobani in recent days.
During Syria’s uprising-turned-conflict, the Kurds carved out an enclave of autonomous rule across northeastern Syria, never fully allying entirely with Assad in Damascus nor the rebels trying to overthrow him.
Even with the Assad family out of the picture, it appears that Ankara’s position won’t change, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s landmark visit to Syria maintaining a strong position on the Kurdish-led group in his meeting with de facto leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa of HTS.
“It has turned the region into a cauldron of terror with PKK members and far-left groups who have come from Turkiye, Iraq, Iran and Europe,” Fidan said in a news conference after the meeting. “The international community is turning a blind eye to this lawlessness because of the wardenship it provides (against Daesh).”
With the ongoing fighting, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi has expressed concern about a strong Daesh resurgence due to the power vacuum in Syria and the ongoing fighting, which has left the Kurdish-led group unable to carry out its attacks and raids on the extremist group’s scattered sleeper cells.
Tens of thousands of children, family members, and supporters of Daesh militants are still held in large detention centers in northeastern Syria, in areas under SDF control.
How Syria’s Christians are marking Christmas amid political change and uncertainty
Religious minorities in Syria are wary of their new rulers and their rights under a post-Assad constitution
Christmas celebrations remain subdued amid economic hardship, fuel shortages and power outages
Updated 6 sec ago
Nadia Alfaour
DUBAI: For Father Iyad Ghanem, a Catholic priest at the Syriac Archdiocese of Homs and Hama, two of Syria’s four largest cities, this Christmas represents both new beginnings and the end of a dark chapter in Syria’s history.
In the wake of the dramatic developments that led to the ousting of Syria’s long-time President Bashar Assad on Nov. 8, Christians in the country are celebrating Christmas under the transitional government of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) for the first time.
HTS, a rebel group led by Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, has sought to reassure minority communities, including Kurds, Alawites and Shiites, as it distances itself from its hardline Islamist roots. For many Christians, the end of the Assad era has come as a veritable Christmas gift.
“Our churches are at peace, and we, as clergymen, are free to conduct our masses. Yet, it is too early for the parish to pass judgment on HTS. The atmosphere remains uncertain, and much is left to unfold,” Father Iyad told Arab News.
“Our country and community have endured so much over the past 13 years. With this new era upon us, we must free ourselves from fear, find the voices that were silenced for so long, and eliminate radicalism in all its forms. This is all unfamiliar territory, and we are still adjusting.”
Worshippers attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition, known also as the Olive Church, in Syria's capital Damascus on December 15, 2024. (AFP)
Syria is part of a region often referred to as the “cradle of Christianity,” making it one of the earliest places in the world to host a Christian community. In the town of Maaloula, a handful of villages still speak Aramaic, the ancient dialect of Christ, to this day.
Once numbering over a million, Syria’s Christian population has dwindled to just 3 percent owing to the prolonged war that began in 2011 and the rise of Daesh in 2014. The violence and persecution left them vulnerable, forcing a large-scale exodus to Western countries.
Rassem Sairafi, a Christian from Homs, said he is optimistic about Syria’s future and hopes for a democratic and free nation.
“Many educated Syrians are returning from abroad. If they are included in the new government, I believe we will be in safe hands,” he told Arab News.
“Historically, Syria’s Sunni majority has been moderate. It was only during the war that began in 2011 that sectarianism took root. Hopefully, we can leave that behind and ensure we do not replace one dictatorship with another.”
FAST FACTS
Christianity in Syria dates back to the 1st century AD.
Before the Syrian civil war, they made up roughly 10% of the population.
The Assad regime left Syria in ruins. Its legacy is starkly evident in decimated infrastructure, a deeply entrenched corrupt political system, and a bankrupt economy that has pushed 90 percent of the population below the poverty line.
In a report for the US public broadcaster PBS on Dec. 12, correspondent Simona Foltyn said: “Streets are getting busier by the day and shops and government institutions are slowly returning to work.
“The opposition has taken over government institutions in the capital, Damascus, and has begun the task of governing the country, using its experience in Idlib as a blueprint. But administrating a whole country, as opposed to a province, is quite a different matter, and it remains to be seen how easily it can be scaled.”
She added: “Apart from the joy and relief, the mundane but vital work of making a country function is job number one for many.”
A woman walks along a street near the Greek Catholic Church of St George in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)
With Assad’s fall, Christians face additional uncertainty as a religious minority about their fate under the country’s new rulers. They feel that their future hangs in the delicate balance of a new era and constitution.
The Christian community, like all Syrians, endured severe hardships under Assad’s regime and so regards the new government with a mix of caution and optimism.
“We are nervous because we are unsure. We do not know what the future holds,” said Rawaa, a Christian from Damascus. “But we are aware of HTS’s history. While their recent legislative decisions are comforting, we remain eager to see if they will uphold these commitments over time.”
Despite being hailed as Syria’s “liberators” and Al-Sharaa’s recent efforts to rebrand himself — shedding his military persona as Abu Mohamad Al-Jolani to adopt the image of a statesman — the country’s stability and economic recovery remain precarious.
HTS is still designated as a terrorist group by the UN, US, EU, and UK, among many others, as it started as a splinter group of Al-Qaeda, which it broke away from in 2016.
A rebel fighter stands next to a giant Christmas advertisement in central Damascus on December 9, 2024. (AFP)
Once confined to the overcrowded and impoverished northwestern region of Idlib but now acting as the self-imposed caretaker government in Damascus, HTS faces the daunting challenge of rebuilding a nation devastated by years of corruption and mismanagement under Assad.
In an effort to stave off chaos, Al-Sharaa has taken steps to restore basic services in some areas, called for the preservation of state institutions, and promoted the vision of an inclusive society and a peaceful transition to new governance.
Senior leaders of the transitional government continue to meet with representatives of various religious communities, emphasizing their commitment to protecting minority rights as part of broader efforts to reassure both Syrians and the international community.
Both Father Iyad and Rawaa voiced their aversion to the use of the term “minority” when describing their community, insisting they are an integral part of Syria’s fabric and one of the essential components that define the country.
This year, across various parts of the country, only churches have adorned their doors and squares with Christmas decorations — a gesture that Rawaa interprets as a sign of hope for the future. However, celebrations remain subdued. Many, including Rawaa’s family and friends, are opting for private gatherings.
Christian worshippers attend mass at the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (also known as the Latin Cathedral) in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)
“My neighborhood hasn’t put up Christmas decorations since the war began 13 years ago, and this year is no different,” Rawaa told Arab News.
“But it’s not out of fear of HTS. It’s because of the shortages we face and the hardships we endure. We lack electricity, fuel, and financial resources. The population is struggling, and the festive spirit is hard to find in such conditions.”
“Our celebrations will be within our homes, with close family and friends,” Rawaa said. “This is a new experience for us. While there has been no persecution from HTS, we are proceeding cautiously. The transitional government has promised to launch awareness campaigns to combat radicalism if necessary. Time will tell if they fulfill that promise.”
Mary Bitar, a Christian from Damascus, saw reason for optimism amid the adversities in the lead-up to Christmas.
“People are out and about. No one is being harassed. We may lack Christmas lights because of the electricity shortages, but our hearts are full, and we remain hopeful,” she said.
A Syrian Christian decorates a Christmas tree at the Marist Brothers charitable association quarters in Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)
In his comments, Father Iyad emphasized that isolated acts of terrorism must be addressed before they escalate, citing a recent incident in Hama where armed men desecrated a Christian graveyard and set crosses in town squares ablaze.
“Small factions that align themselves with HTS must be controlled,” he told Arab News. “Those seeking to sow chaos must be stopped. We will not tolerate any radicalized behavior.”
Despite these challenges, Father Iyad remains steadfast in his message of hope. “My wish is for unity — a just legislation that provides equal rights to all Syrians. A peaceful, beautiful Syria for everyone.”
‘Like a dream’: AFP photographer’s return to Syria
“We didn’t dare to imagine that Assad could fall because his presence was so anchored in us,” said Al-Doumy
Award-winning photographer has spent the last few years covering migrant crisis for AFP’s Lille bureau in northern France
Updated 17 min 58 sec ago
AFP
DOUMA: AFP photographer Sameer Al-Doumy never dreamed he would be able to return to the hometown in Syria that he escaped through a tunnel seven years ago after it was besieged by Bashar Assad’s forces.
Douma, once a militant stronghold near Damascus, suffered terribly for its defiance of the former regime, and was the victim of a particularly horrific chemical weapons attack in 2018.
“It is like a dream for me today to find myself back here,” he said.
“The revolution was a dream, getting out of a besieged town and of Syria was a dream, as it is now being able to go back.
“We didn’t dare to imagine that Assad could fall because his presence was so anchored in us,” said the 26-year-old.
“My biggest dream was to return to Syria at a moment like this after 13 years of war, just as it was my biggest dream in 2017 to leave for a new life,” said the award-winning photographer who has spent the last few years covering the migrant crisis for AFP’s Lille bureau in northern France.
“I left when I was 19,” said Sameer, all of whose immediate family are in exile, apart from his sister.
“This is my home, all my memories are here, my childhood, my adolescence. I spent my life in Douma in this house my family had to flee and where my cousin now lives.
“The house hasn’t changed, although the top floor was destroyed in the bombardments.
“The sitting room is still the same, my father’s beloved library hasn’t changed. He would settle down there every morning to read the books that he had collected over the years — it was more important to him than his children.
“I went looking for my childhood stuff that my mother kept for me but I could not find it. I don’t know if it exists anymore.
“I haven’t found any comfort here, perhaps because I haven’t found anyone from my family or people I was close to. Some have left the country and others were killed or have disappeared.
“People have been through so much over the last 13 years, from the peaceful protests of the revolution, to the war and the siege and then being forced into exile.
“My memories are here but they are associated with the war which started when I was 13. What I lived through was hard, and what got me through was my family and friends, and they are no longer here.
“The town has changed. I remember the bombed buildings, the rubble. Today life has gone back to a kind of normal as the town waits for people to return.”
Douma was besieged by Assad’s forces from the end of 2012, with Washington blaming his forces for a chemical attack in the region that left more than 1,400 people dead the following year.
Sameer’s career as a photojournalist began when he and his brothers began taking photos of what was happening around them.
“After the schools closed I started to go out filming the protests with my brothers here in front of the main mosque, where the first demonstration in Douma was held after Friday prayers, and where the first funerals of the victims were also held.
“I set up my camera on the first floor of a building which overlooks the mosque and then changed my clothes afterwards so I would not be recognized and arrested. Filming the protests was banned.
“When the security forces attacked, I would take the SIM card out of my phone and the memory card out of my camera and put them in my mouth.”
That way he could swallow them if he was caught.
In May 2017, Sameer fled through a tunnel dug by the militants and eventually found himself in Idlib with former fighters and their families.
“I took the name Sameer Al-Doumy (Sameer from Douma) to affirm that I belonged somewhere,” even though he was exiled, he said. “I stopped using my first name, Motassem, to protect my family living in Damascus.
“In France I have a happy and stable life. I have a family, friends and a job. But I am not rooted to any particular place. When I went back to Syria, I felt I had a country.
“When you are abroad, you get used to the word ‘refugee’ and you get on with your life and make a big effort to integrate in a new society. But your country remains the place that accepts you as you are. You don’t have to prove anything.
“When I left Syria, I never thought one day I would be able to return. When the news broke, I couldn’t believe it. It was impossible Assad could fall. Lots of people are still in shock and are afraid. It is hard to get your head around how a regime that filled people with so much fear could collapse.
“When I returned to the Al-Midan district of Damascus (which had long resisted the regime), I could not stop myself crying.
“I am sad not to be with my loved ones. But I know they will return, even if it takes a while.
“My dream now is that one day we will all come together again in Syria.”
Looting cripples food supply in Gaza despite Israeli pledge to tackle gangs, sources say
IDF has taken only limited actions against the handful of gangs operating in parts of Gaza under Israeli control, according to three officials
Updated 24 December 2024
Reuters
GAZA: Israel has failed to crack down on armed gangs attacking food convoys in Gaza, despite a pledge to do so in mid-October to help ward off famine in the Palestinian enclave, according to three UN and US officials familiar with the matter.
The commitment, made behind closed doors, seemed like a breakthrough because, since the beginning of the war in October 2023, the international community has struggled to enlist Israel’s support to improve the dire humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged territory, the three senior officials said.
But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has remained focused on its fight against Hamas and taken only limited actions against the handful of gangs operating in parts of Gaza under Israeli control, according to the three officials, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred questions on the pledge and relief operations in Gaza to the military. An IDF spokesperson declined to comment on what was agreed in October and what has been done to curb looting.
“Israel has taken significant steps to allow the maximum possible scope of aid to Gaza,” the spokesperson said.
Now, UN and US officials say gang violence has spiraled out of control, crippling supply lines on which most of Gaza’s 2.1 million civilians rely for survival.
In October, $9.5 million worth of food and other goods – nearly a quarter of all the humanitarian aid sent to Gaza that month – was lost because of attacks and looting, according to a previously unreported tally of incidents compiled by UN relief agencies with charity organizations.
The assessment of looting in November is still underway, but preliminary data shows that it was far worse, two people familiar with the matter said. In mid-November, a 109-truck convoy chartered by UN agencies came under attack minutes after it was ordered by the IDF to leave a border crossing in southern Gaza during the night, several hours ahead of the agreed schedule, according to five people familiar with the incident, including two who were present.
Stationed nearby, the IDF did not intervene, the five people said. The IDF spokesperson declined to comment on the incident.
Georgios Petropoulos, a coordinator at the UN’s emergency-response arm, OCHA, said that aid agencies were unable to resolve the problem of lawlessness there by themselves.
“It’s just gotten too big for humanitarians to solve,” he told reporters upon returning from Gaza on Thursday.
The US Department of State declined to comment on Israel’s October commitment, but said that looting remained the primary obstacle to aid delivery.
“We continue to press Israel on the need for bolstered security to ensure convoys with critical humanitarian assistance reach Palestinian civilians throughout Gaza,” a spokesperson said.
Fourteen months into Israel’s war against Hamas, the international relief machine is in disarray: UN agencies and charities say the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached one of its worst points because they cannot deliver and distribute enough food and medical supplies to Gaza’s population. A new round of ceasefire talks this month has rekindled hope that Hamas would release Israeli hostages it has held captive since its Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year, and that solutions can be found to boost humanitarian aid.
For now, however, relief operations are hobbled by a disagreement between Israel and much of the international community over who is responsible for feeding civilians in Gaza and maintaining order in the tiny territory.
The UN and the United States have repeatedly called on Israel to comply with international humanitarian laws, and provide security and assistance to Gaza civilians. But Israeli authorities say their only duty is to facilitate the transfer of food and medical supplies, and that they regularly do much more out of goodwill.
The stalemate has made organizing and coordinating relief operations immensely difficult, said Jamie McGoldrick, who was the UN Humanitarian chief for the Occupied Palestinian Territory from December to April.
To gauge the depth of the hunger crisis, US officials said they watch the percentage of Gaza’s population to whom UN relief agencies could provide food assistance each month.
In November, it was 29 percent, up from 24 percent in October, but a sharp fall from a wartime peak of more than 70 percent in April, according to UN data.
Mohammad Abdel-Dayem, owner of the Zadna 2 bakery in central Gaza, said he and his 60 employees have been out of business for a month, unable to provide bread to the 50,000 people they normally serve.
“We’re not receiving any flour because of looting,” he told Reuters by phone last week.
The IDF spokesperson challenged the claim that some bakeries are not receiving flour.
But a daily World Food Programme review of bakery operations seen by Reuters showed that 15 of the 19 bread factories the UN agency supports in Gaza were out of operation as of Dec. 21, and that Zadna 2 has been closed since Nov. 23 due to a lack of flour.
Some of the stolen food makes its way to the market, Abdel-Dayem said, but at prohibitive prices that only very few people can afford. Relief workers said they also face difficulties in accessing northern Gaza, where the IDF resumed combat against Hamas in October. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 civilians remain stranded there, with little food and medical assistance.
The IDF spokesperson said a dedicated humanitarian response has been formulated for the area. Aside from fighting in the north, more than a dozen UN and US officials traced the deterioration of humanitarian conditions inside Gaza in the past three months to a decision by Israeli authorities in early October to ban commercial food shipments by businesses.
Those shipments accounted for nearly all the fresh food and more than half of all goods going into Gaza between May and September, according to Israeli military data.
Their abrupt suspension caused a sharp drop in supply and made attacking aid trucks an increasingly lucrative proposition, the UN and US officials said.
In October, 40 percent of aid collected from the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza was looted, according to the tally of incidents seen by Reuters.
Israeli authorities have opened a new crossing, Kissufim, but gangs have also attacked convoys along that route, the UN said.
The gangs are formed along tribal and family lines, and include some criminal elements freed from prisons in Gaza during the Israeli offensive, according to relief and transport workers in Gaza.
The UN and the United States have pressed Israel to restore commercial shipments, saying that flooding Gaza with food would drive down prices and discourage looters, but Israeli authorities have not agreed to do so.
Depleted trucks
Early in the war, the UN sought to rely on unarmed Gaza policemen to secure convoys, but Israel was opening fire on them, saying it could not tolerate any force tied to Hamas.
Visiting the Kerem Shalom crossing in late November, an Israeli officer said it was the responsibility of the UN to distribute aid to Gazans once Israel allowed food across the border.
Waiving at piles of food, Col. Abdullah Halabi – clad in a bullet-proof vest and ballistic helmet – told reporters it was aid “waiting to be picked up by international organizations.”
But OCHA’s Petropoulos said gang violence makes this nearly impossible.
He and other relief workers said they were stunned by the attack on the 109-truck convoy on Nov. 16 about four miles from the crossing.
Gunmen from several gangs surrounded the convoy and forced drivers to follow them to nearby compounds where they stole flour and food kits from 98 trucks, according to the five people familiar with the matter.
Drivers and their depleted trucks were released in the morning, they said.
Morocco proposes family law reforms to improve women’s rights
Draft code proposes more than 100 amendments, notably allowing women to stipulate opposition to polygamy in a marriage contract
Updated 24 December 2024
Reuters
RABAT: Morocco aims to grant women more rights over child custody and guardianship as well as a veto over polygamous marriage, in the first review of its family code in 20 years, the justice and Islamic affairs ministers said on Tuesday.
Women’s rights campaigners have been pushing for a revision of regulations governing the rights of women and children within the family in Morocco.
The draft code proposes more than 100 amendments, notably allowing women to stipulate opposition to polygamy in a marriage contract, justice minister Abdellatif Ouahbi told reporters.
In the absence of such opposition, a husband can take a second wife under certain circumstances such as the first wife’s infertility, he said, putting more restrictions on polygamy.
It also aims to simplify and shorten divorce procedures, considers chid custody a shared right between spouses and gives either spouse the right to retain the marital home in the event of the other’s death, he said.
Divorced women will be allowed to retain child custody upon remarriage and the code will restrict exceptions for underage marriage to 17 years, maintaining the legal marriage age of 18. While the revised code does not abolish the Islamic-based inheritance rule which grants a man twice the share of a woman, it allows individuals to gift any of their assets to their female heirs, Ouahbi said. But inheritances between spouses from different religions can only occur through wills or gifts. Moroccan women’s rights defenders, who have pushed particularly for equal inheritance laws, could not be reached for immediate comment.
King Mohammed VI, the country’s supreme religious authority, said on Monday that the amended code, which has to be submitted to parliament for approval, should be underpinned by “the principles of justice, equality, solidarity and harmony” with Islamic precepts and universal values to protect the Moroccan family.
Security deployed as wartime Bethlehem readies for another somber Christmas
Missing for a second consecutive year were the decorations, bustling tourists and crowds of pilgrims that were staples of Christmases past
Updated 24 December 2024
AFP
BETHLEHEM: Palestinian security forces deployed around the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday, as the faithful prepared for another solemn Christmas overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
An unusual calm enveloped Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city dominated by the revered church that marks the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.
The white-walled compound and its surrounding plaza were empty, save for a few vendors selling coffee and corn and a significant contingent of journalists, an AFP reporter saw.
Missing for a second consecutive year were the decorations, bustling tourists and crowds of pilgrims that were staples of Christmases past, reflecting the somber mood as the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip drags on.
The fighting in Gaza — which is separated from the occupied West Bank by a swath of Israeli territory — erupted after Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Traditionally, a grand Christmas tree would light up Manger Square, but local authorities opted against elaborate celebrations for a second year.
“This year we limited our joy,” Bethlehem mayor Anton Salman told AFP.
“We want to focus on the Palestinian reality and show the world that Palestine is still suffering from the Israeli occupation, still suffering from the injustice.”
Prayers, including the church’s famed midnight mass, will still be held in the presence of the Catholic Church’s Latin Patriarch, but the festivities will be of a more strictly religious nature than the festive celebrations the city once held.
Despite the gloomy mood, some Christians in the Holy Land — who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories — are finding refuge in prayer.
“Christmas is a feast of faith... We’re going to pray and ask God to end our suffering,” Salman said.
Vendors in front of the local municipality building, the Bethlehem Peace Center, waited for customers in vain behind pots full of steaming coffee.
Mohammad Awad, 57, has been selling coffee for more than 25 years at the foot of the Mosque of Omar, whose elegant minaret stands directly opposite the Church of the Nativity.
“Business was good before the war, but now there’s no one,” the vendor lamented. “I hope the war in Gaza will end soon and that tourists will return.”
While most streets were quiet, a handful of visitors could still be seen in the area.
“On one hand, it’s sad that there are so few people,” said Christiana von der Tann, a German who came with her husband to spend the holidays with her daughter, a journalist in Tel Aviv.
“But then you can access the Church of the Nativity as you can freely go inside... That’s the advantage.
“But it’s very sad for the people here, it’s very sad they can’t sell their goods. They’ve got a really hard time.”
Violence across the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza broke out, but Bethlehem has remained largely quiet, even though the fighting has taken a toll on the now predominantly Muslim city.
Foreign tourists, on whom Bethlehem’s economy almost entirely relies, stopped coming due to the war. And an increase in restrictions on movement in the form of Israeli checkpoints is also preventing many Palestinians from visiting.
“Last night, there was a rocket attack in Tel Aviv and it was a little scary,” said Tann.
“We had to go to a shelter room. That was a special experience. You don’t forget that you are in a country at war.”
