Christians across the Middle East celebrated Christmas Eve on Wednesday. The celebrations came despite an escalation in violence in the region.

Militants in Gaza pummeled southern Israel following the expiration of a six-month ceasefire between the two sides.

In Iraq, Christian and Muslim schoolchildren celebrated Christmas Eve at their school in eastern Baghdad.

The Holy Land's top Roman Catholic cleric, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, arrived at the Church of the Nativity compound in Bethlehem. Twal was there to lead midnight mass.

Twal became the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land in June. He is the second Palestinian to hold the post.

And in Iraq, Christian and Muslim schoolchildren celebrated Christmas Eve at their school in eastern Baghdad.

The Catholic school, run by nuns, was opened in 1994 and accepts both Christian and Muslim children.

The Christmas Eve Mass for Baghdad's small and beleaguered Christian community started before dusk. This was instead of its traditional time of midnight, out of security concerns in the Iraqi capital.

Fewer than three percent of Iraq's 26 million people are Christians. The number is estimated at several hundred thousand.

Thousands of tourists and Palestinians celebrated Christmas Eve in Jesus' birthplace as evening fell in Bethlehem.

The celebrations at Manger Square were expected to last all night long.