Bethlehem prays for Gaza peace: ‘I have never seen a Christmas like this’

Normally at this time of year Bethlehem is full of thosuands visiting one of Christianty’s most holy cities. But Bel Trew finds empty streets, shuttered shops and a central square without its famous Christmas tree. Clerics at the Church of the Holy Nativity – feted as the birthplace of Jesus Christ – say the situation in Gaza makes any form of celebration impossible, and they people need to be united in a message of peace