BETHLEHEM, Palestinian Territories (AFP)—  Christians gathered at the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to mark a solemn Christmas overshadowed by war, as Pope Francis led mass in the Vatican.

In Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, festive decorations were missing for a second consecutive year.

The crowd of several hundred paled in comparison to the throngs of tourists and pilgrims of Christmases past — a reflection of the sombre mood as the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip churns on.

At Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city dominated by the revered church that marks the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, a group of scouts held a parade that broke the morning’s silence.

“Our children want to play and laugh,” read a sign carried by one of them, as his friends whistled and cheered.

Traditionally in Bethlehem, a grand Christmas tree would light up Manger Square, but local authorities opted against elaborate celebrations for a second year.

“This year we limited our joy,” Bethlehem mayor Anton Salman told AFP.

Prayers, including the church’s famed midnight mass, will still be held in the presence of the Catholic Church’s Latin patriarch, but the festivities will be of a more strictly religious nature.

The patriarch, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told a crowd in Bethlehem he had just returned from Gaza, where he “saw everything destroyed, poverty, disaster”.

“But I also saw life — they don’t give up. So you should not give up either. Never.”

Despite the gloomy mood, some Christians in the Holy Land — who number about 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories — were finding refuge in prayer.

“Christmas is a feast of faith… We’re going to pray and ask God to end our suffering,” Salman said.

In a message to Christians all over the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked them for supporting Israel’s fight against the “forces of evil”.