Christmas under siege in Gaza

Every year thousands of Christians from around the world travel to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. But just 46 miles away, an entire community of Palestinian Christians are banned from traveling to the city, even for the holidays.

The besieged Gaza Strip is home to a small Christian population of around 1,500 people. While international tourists and religious pilgrims can travel to Bethlehem freely, the Christians in Gaza must apply for Israeli permits in order to visit their holy sites. The permits are extremely difficult to obtain, leaving hundreds of families stuck in the strip for the holiday.