It's quiet in Bethlehem

This Christmas, the winding streets of Bethlehem won't be decorated with lights, and the town square believed to be the birthplace of Jesus won't be packed with holiday revelers.

In solidarity with Palestinian victims of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Christian leaders in the West Bank city canceled Christmas festivities. The city, typically bustling with thousands of tourists during the Christmas season, will be quiet.

For Maddi Froiland, a Wisconsin native who lives and works around Bethlehem, it's another indicator of the somber, anxious mood that has permeated the West Bank since the war in Gaza began in October.

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