Sadness over Israeli war on Gaza subdued the holiday cheer in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, when the biblical town would usually be decked out in festive finery. Celebrations in the Holy Land have mostly been cancelled in solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are living through the deadliest war ever to engulf the besieged Palestinian territory. “A lot of people are dying for this land,” says Nicole Najjar, an 18-year-old student in the city’s deserted Manger Square.
