GAZA CITY - The ongoing war in Gaza and the Israeli occupation of the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza to Egypt, have prevented 2,500 Palestinians from performing the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage this year, according to the Ministry of Endowments in the Gaza Strip.
This is a "clear violation of religious freedom,” said ministry spokesperson Ikrami Al-Mudallal, speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA).
The conflict has disrupted the ministry's usual Hajj preparations, including signing transportation contracts within Egypt and Saudi Arabia and booking accommodations in Mecca and Medina, Al-Mudallal added.
Al-Mudallal noted that "the closure of the Rafah crossing and the ongoing conflict have stopped 2,500 Gaza pilgrims, including accompanying missions, from travelling to perform Hajj.”
"This group represents 38 per cent of the total 6,600 Palestinian pilgrims,” he said.
Al-Mudallal said the ministry is in contact with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to address what they describe as a "significant violation” of Palestinian pilgrims' rights and to find ways for them to travel for Hajj. He assured that the pilgrims affected this year "would not lose their right to perform Hajj next year, with priority given to them," especially since many have waited years for their turn and 70 per cent are elderly or ill.
This year, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz's royal gesture to host 500 pilgrims from the families of those killed and wounded in Gaza was allocated to families outside the Gaza Strip, according to Al-Mudallal.
"This gesture allowed those who had left Gaza to perform the Hajj, preserving Gaza's right to the royal gesture," he said.
On June 6, the Saudi monarch ordered the exceptional hosting of 1,000 pilgrims from the families of Gaza's killed and wounded as part of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ Hajj and Umrah Guest Programme.
These pilgrims were chosen from those who had left Gaza either due to the war or for medical treatment. - BERNAMA