No let-up in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as Christmas dawns
CBSN
Israel pounded Gaza on Monday, exacerbating the dire conditions for civilians with no end in sight to the war that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says has killed more than 20,000 people in the Palestinian territory.
Christmas festivities in Bethlehem, the revered birthplace of Jesus Christ in the occupied West Bank, were effectively scrapped amid the conflict, leaving the usually vibrant streets with only a handful of worshippers and tourists.
Pope Francis kicked off global Christmas celebrations on Sunday with a call for peace. "Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world," the pontiff said.