DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to go ahead and start this holiday morning by taking you on a tour around the world, showing you an international Christmas as only we can here at CNN. We're going to start in the Mideast, which has been the site of so much violence this past year; there was more gunfire overnight. But on this Christmas morning, there is still hope that peace may come. CNN's Matthew Chance has more now from Jerusalem. Matthew, merry Christmas.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And merry Christmas to you, too. But it's a grim mood across Israel and much of the Palestinian- controlled territories. A lot of hope in the region, of course, for peace; but also a lot of despondency and a lot of apprehension about the way the peace process has moved in recent weeks and about what future negotiations, what more negotiations can bring the town of Bethlehem -- of course, believed to be the birth town of Jesus Christ, 2,000 years ago has been particularly despondent over the holiday period. Christmas day mass has been held there within the last few hours, but there's a tight security called in and around Bethlehem by the Israeli security forces, making it very difficult for Palestinians, local Palestinians, Christians and Christian pilgrims to move in and out of the town. And the move there, really, after so much violence in recent weeks, so much confrontation between the Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters is very dark indeed; and this, in a town which, of course, is traditionally the focus of Christmas celebrations. Daryn, back to you.</s>KAGAN: Matthew Chance in Jerusalem, thank you very much.
Mideast Violence Detracts From Holiday Celebrations in the Region