< a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1910000/1910370.stm>BBC report:

Father Siryani denied the churches were sheltering gunmen, saying that, on principle, weapons were not allowed inside.

Father Siryani said his church was full of "old men, women, kids"

"[The reason] they did come to the church is because the weapon is helpless and useless at this point," he said.

"They left their weapons, they came to the church, there are families, old men, women, kids - this is what we have in the churches."

The Church of Our Lady Fatima is just 400 metres (0.25 mile) from Manger Square, where Father Siryani said the situation at the Church of the Nativity was "very bad".

"[The Israelis] are surrounding the building, with hundreds and hundreds of soldiers, heavy artillery and tanks are all over the place," he said.

"Inside, they are lacking water, they are lacking medical help because some of them are injured [and] ambulances are not allowed in."