BETHLEHEM, West Bank, 25 December (H.S.): Scouts paraded through Bethlehem's streets under a clear blue sky on Wednesday as the occupied West Bank city hosted its first vibrant Christmas celebrations in over two years, buoyed by a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has held since October 10.

Drums and bagpipes echoed renditions of Christmas carols as hundreds gathered in Manger Square, adjacent to the fourth-century Church of the Nativity—built over the grotto Christians revere as Jesus Christ's birthplace.

A towering Christmas tree adorned with red and gold baubles sparkled beside the basilica, replacing wartime nativity scenes of rubble and barbed wire from 2023 and 2024, when festivities were canceled amid the Gaza conflict sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.

Seventeen-year-old scout Milagros Anstas, in her yellow-and-blue uniform, expressed elation: Today is full of joy because we haven't been able to celebrate because of the war.

The US-mediated truce has paused major hostilities, allowing Bethlehem—reliant on tourism—to revive parades down narrow Star Street and draw crowds from Israel, the West Bank, and beyond.

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, led Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, declaring a desire for a Christmas full of light after two years of darkness, following his weekend visit to Gaza's Holy Family Parish where he witnessed resilience amid catastrophe.

Local resident George Hanna from nearby Beit Jala emphasized the global message: We need to get the message to the whole world, and this is the only way.

Pope Leo XIV's First Vatican Christmas

In the Vatican, American-born Pope Leo XIV—elected in May 2025 after Pope Francis's death—presided over his inaugural Christmas Eve Mass at 10 p.m. local time in St. Peter's Basilica, reviving traditions like a Christmas Day Mass amid rain-soaked crowds of thousands.

The pontiff urged 24 hours of peace in the whole world and warned against rejecting the poor and strangers, equating it to turning away God, while highlighting God's presence in every person.

An 82-foot Italian spruce towered over the Vatican's Nativity scene as 6,000 filled the basilica and 5,000 gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Regional Echoes of Hope and Caution

In Syria's Damascus Old City, Christmas lights illuminated churches despite fears after a June deadly attack, with student Loris Aasaf, 20, voicing hope for a new future.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struck a somber note post a Hanukkah attack at Bondi Beach, saying Christmas would feel different this year amid sorrow.

Uncertainty persists over Gaza's ceasefire longevity, with unresolved issues like Hamas disarmament, an international force, and Israeli withdrawals fueling mutual recriminations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar