Christian faithful from around the world descended on the biblical city of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus, trying to lift spirits on a holiday dampened by months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
The fighting cast a pall over the celebrations. Crowds were thin and hotel rooms were empty.
While the annual festivities in Bethlehem's Manger Square went on, other celebrations in the city were cancelled or toned down.
Bethlehem has been a focal point for clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters during a three-month wave of violence.
The city was quiet on Thursday, although violence raged elsewhere in the West Bank. Israeli authorities said three Palestinians were killed as they carried out or tried to carry out stabbing or car-ramming attacks against Israeli security personnel, and a Palestinian hospital official said a fourth Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli troops. Two Israeli security guards and a soldier were wounded.
Lisette Rossman, a 22-year-old student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the violence made her think twice about visiting a friend studying in Jerusalem. She said she was glad she made the trip because "it was one of my dreams to come here".
Since mid-September Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings and shootings, have killed 20 Israelis, while Israeli fire has killed 124 Palestinians, among them 85 said by Israel to be attackers. The rest were killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Israel accuses Palestinian leaders of inciting the violence. The Palestinians say it is the result of nearly 50 years of military occupation.
In the evening several thousand people crowded into Manger Square. But at 9pm, traditionally a bustling time of the evening, there were few tourists to drink local wine sold on the square or to eat freshly fried falafel.
Vendors and hotel owners complained of sagging business this Christmas season.
Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian official, said hotel bookings were down 25 per cent from last year, which itself was weak following a war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip several months earlier.
Some Palestinians hoped holiday cheer would replace the gloom. Said Nustas, dressed in a Santa Claus suit, rang a Christmas bell on a narrow asphalt street as he prepared to deliver gifts from a toy store to children nearby.
"The situation is what it is, a war and intifada," Nustas said. "But God willing, we'll overcome it and celebrate."
