World pray for peace on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem

The birthplace of Jesus Christ was crowded and festive as people flooded the usually quiet half-empty Palestinian city. Palestinian Muslims and Christians, foreigners and even Jews arrived in succession to join in the Christmas celebrations.
With better security situation in the West Bank this year, Bethlehem is expecting the biggest number of Christmas tourists.
"The number of tourists and pilgrims is expected to be 50,000 in these two days, compared with last year's 30,000," Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh told Xinhua.
This year, only 400 Palestinian Christians from Gaza, which has been under Israeli siege for three years, were granted permits among 750 people who applied for it.
As darkness fell, tourists and pilgrims gathered at the Manger Square near the Church of Nativity to listen to Christmas carols and wait for the Christmas Eve mass to start.
At midnight, the church bells went off and a mass went on with the participation of pilgrims and religious and political figures including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
They were all praying in the place which Christians believe is the birthplace of Jesus, and many of them were praying for world peace, Kazinfor cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.