Bethlehem has marked its first Christmas in three years as a fragile truce holds in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands remain displaced and in urgent need of basic aid.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa opened celebrations with the traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem after visiting the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, the enclave’s only Catholic parish.

Speaking in Manger Square, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said he carried greetings from Gaza’s small Christian community and expressed hope for renewal and a Christmas marked by light.