Christmas hymns return to Bethlehem after ceasefire brings brief respite

At midnight on Christmas Eve, the ancient walls of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity will once again echo with the traditional hymn “Laylat al Milad” — The Night of Christmas — sung in the grotto where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

For local choirs rehearsing ahead of the service, the words carry renewed meaning this year, following a ceasefire after months of war in Gaza. Composer and musician Joseph Hazboun says…