Alex Ritson

And assuming that they are competent, which most certainly will be at the outset of hunger strike, you can't actually overrule their desire and put up a drip or force feed them with a tube put into their stomach.

because that would be considered assault against their human right.

Now, some might accept some measure of a drip or force feeding, but in general, if they're serious about their cause and their strike, they're not going to accept that, and there's very little you can do.

Dr Mike Strood speaking to Evan Davis.

Bethlehem is marking Christmas for the first time since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Public celebrations had been cancelled for two years, but after a ceasefire was announced on October the 10th, the holy city where Christians believed Jesus was born...

decided to bring them back, starting with the lighting of its traditional Christmas tree outside the Church of the Nativity a few weeks ago.

Bethlehem's economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism, has been battered by two years of war.

While festivities return in the occupied West Bank, suffering continues in Gaza, including for its tiny Christian community.

According to UN reports citing the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 400 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since the October ceasefire came into effect.

Shaima Khalil sent us this report from Bethlehem.

I've been here in Bethlehem for the past two Christmases, and for those two years, Manger Square felt empty.

It felt quiet, almost hollow, to be honest.

A group of tourists are taking selfies in the courtyard outside the nativity church, ready to go in.

It's better.

Last year there was nothing, no people, no movement.

Now there's more of a festive atmosphere.

The city is blossoming a bit, where happy people have started to come back again.

We can hear the sounds of pumping, the sounds of shells.

I can see the pumpings are very, very close and near to us.