Israeli soldiers fire tear gas into Bethlehem, forcing families to flee their homes

(Persecuted Church Alerts) — On Saturday Israeli forces stormed the Christian city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, firing tear gas toward residential neighborhoods and filling large sections of the city with smoke, according to reports from local residents and media on the ground.

Witnesses reported that tear gas canisters were fired into and around civilian areas, causing panic among families and forcing many residents to flee their homes and surrounding streets as the air became difficult to breathe. Footage circulating online showed smoke spreading through neighborhoods in parts of the city revered by Christians worldwide as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

BREAKING: The Israeli army stormed the Christian city of Bethlehem in the West Bank and fired tear gas toward homes, filling the air with smoke and forcing many residents to flee their areas.https://t.co/QiOAbofNdn pic.twitter.com/iPWTYRIeUO

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 23, 2026

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The operation reportedly took place during wider Israeli military activity across the West Bank, where raids, arrests, and confrontations have intensified in recent months amid escalating tensions and growing settler violence.

Bethlehem, one of the most important Christian cities in the world, has increasingly faced the same instability affecting Palestinian communities across the territory. Residents and Church leaders have repeatedly warned that raids, restrictions, economic collapse, and insecurity are accelerating the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land.

The expansion of military raids and confrontations into major Christian population centers like Bethlehem signals that instability and violence in the West Bank are no longer confined to isolated flashpoints, and that despite its claims, Israel offers no protections to Christians in the Holy Land. As pressure intensifies across Palestinian cities, many Christians fear that the conditions driving displacement and insecurity are steadily reaching even the spiritual heartlands of Christianity in the Holy Land.

Reprinted with permission from Persecuted Church Alerts.