Bethlehem, garin da aka yi imani a matsayin inda Yesu an haife shi, ya markada Kirsimati maras ta biyu a cikin shekaru biyu da yanayin fadi na yaƙi a Gaza. Duhu da damuwa sun mamaye garin a ranar Christmas Eve, inda zaran raye-rayen da karnuka da ke yawan zama a Manger Square ba su kasance ba.
Tourists daga kasashen waje, waɗanda ke zuwa Bethlehem a kowace shekara don shaida Kirsimati, ba su zo ba saboda yaƙin da ke gudana a Gaza. Haka kuma, manyan itace da raye-rayen da ke yawan zama a Manger Square ba su kasance ba. Jiries Qumsiyeh, mai magana da yawun Ma’aikatar yawon buɗe ido ta Filistini, ya ce adadin baƙi ya ragu daga kimanin mutum biyu milioni a shekarar 2019 zuwa ƙasa da 100,000 a shekarar 2024.
Palestinian scouts sun yi taro cikin shiru, wanda ya kawo canji daga salon su na yau da kullum na kunnawa da karnuka. Sojojin tsaro sun rufe barikadi kusa da Cocin Nativity, wuri da aka gina a saman inda aka yi imani Yesu an haife shi. An soke bukukuwan Kirsimati, abin da ya zama babban kashi ga tattalin arzikin garin. Yawon buɗe ido ya ke da kaso mai yawa a tattalin arzikin Bethlehem, kusan 70% na kudaden garin.
Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, shugaban cocin Katolika a ƙasar Alkalami, ya bayyana damuwarsa game da rufewar dukkanai da gundumar garin. Ya fada wa mutane da dama da suka taru a Manger Square cewa, ‘Wannan ya kamata ta zama Kirsimati ta karshe da ta zama maras.’ Ya kuma gudanar da taron pre-Christmas Mass a Cocin Holy Family a Gaza City, inda wasu Kiristoci na Filistini suka ce suna zaune a cikin cocin tare da kadan kadan na abinci da ruwa tun daga lokacin da yaƙin ya fara a watan Oktoba na shekarar da ta gabata.
