Christmas lights illuminate Jerusalem's Old City

Jerusalem's Old City was festooned with lights ahead of the holiday season as Israelis and Palestinians attended a Christmas market at the New Gate on Sunday. Foreign tourists were nowhere to be seen as the country closed its borders due to the omicron variant. Israeli tour guide Itamar Keidan said the lack of tourists was to be expected. "We must be optimistic, and we must bring the happiness from inside into hope," he said. The country’s health ministry has reported at least 134 confirmed cases of the omicron variant since its emergence in late November. The Haaretz news site on Sunday said some 17 travelers with the coronavirus arrived on a single flight from Miami, most of them with the omicron variant. Israel largely closed its international borders last month after the emergence of omicron. Foreign nationals are not allowed to enter, and all Israelis arriving from overseas are required to quarantine - including those vaccinated. Israel rolled out a world-leading vaccination campaign early this year, and more than 4.1 million of Israel's 9.3 million people have received a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.