Christmas spirit returns to Jesus' birthplace after more than two years of war

Thousands flocked to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas for the first time since the implementation of the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas peace deal.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who has served as the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, kicked off the celebration during a traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, calling for "a Christmas full of light," The Associated Press reported. Upon his arrival at Manger Square, which is named for the manger in which Christian tradition says Jesus was laid after his birth...