Dec. 19 (UPI) -- As Christmas Day approaches on Monday, the mood is subdued and the decorations are sparse in the biblical town of Bethlehem in the West Bank, as Israel's war rages on with Hamas. In ...

Tourism accounts for an estimated 70% of Bethlehem’s income — almost all of that during the Christmas season. With many major airlines canceling flights to Israel, few foreigners are visiting.

Workshops in Bethlehem where carvers toil over small pieces of olive wood sit empty these days. On most Easters the shops lining the streets of the town would be bustling with tourists. But the war ...