The Jordan Evangelical Council declared that Christmas festivities would be restricted to church-based religious rites and prayers.

"The decision is a statement of national cohesiveness and is made in light of the harsh conditions and cruel Israeli aggression that the people of the Gaza Strip are subjected to," President of the Council, Imad Saliba Maayah‎‏ said Tuesday in a statement.

He prayed to God to keep Jordan safe and secure under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and HRH the Crown Prince.