Bethlehem is normally at its busiest at Christmas but this year war has scared away tourists and pilgrims from the Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leaving hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops deserted.

With global headlines dominated since October 7 by news of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, followed by Israel’s military assault on Gaza and a rise in violence in the West Bank, business owners in Bethlehem said no one was coming.

Located just south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all over the world who come to see the Church of the Nativity, believed by Christians to stand on the site where Jesus was born.

Since the 1967 war between Israel and neighbouring Arab countries, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state.

Israel has built Jewish settlements, deemed illegal by most countries, across the territory. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land. Several of its ministers live in settlements and favour their expansion.

Since Oct. 7, the West Bank has experienced a rise in attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians, which were already at a 15-year high this year before the Hamas attack.

Bethlehem’s Manger Square, a large paved space in front of the Church of the Nativity that usually serves as a focal point for Christmas celebrations, was quiet and almost empty, as were nearby streets where most souvenir shops were shuttered.