Overview
- The 20-metre tree in Manger Square was illuminated after a two-hour program, drawing thousands from across the West Bank and Israel, including Christians and Muslims.
- Festivities were deliberately subdued with hymns and prayers and no fireworks under a fragile ceasefire now in its second month.
- Mayor Maher Canawati framed the lighting as solidarity with Gaza, where the health ministry reports more than 70,000 Palestinians killed since 2023.
- Tourism remains badly damaged, with the Chamber citing about a 90% drop in visitors and $1.5 million in daily losses, though officials say hotel bookings could reach roughly 70% at Christmas.
- Residents describe tightened Israeli checkpoints and new roadblocks across the West Bank that restrict movement and leave any economic recovery uncertain.