Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Bethlehem under heavy security this evening for Christmas celebrations.

Israeli soldiers sent sweets and Christmas greetings to Palestinians in Bethlehem today, the latest sign that relations between the sides have warmed since the death of Yasser Arafat.

More than 1,000 people gathered in Bethlehem’s Manger Square today, listening to carols playing through loudspeakers and watching the annual Christmas Eve procession into the church that holds the traditional birthplace of Jesus.