Before the war erupted in 2023, at least 3,000 pilgrims from Gaza performed the Hajj every year.
Under the US-brokered “ceasefire”, Israel in February allowed a partial reopening of the Rafah crossing to Egypt, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world. However, only a few hundred people have been permitted to pass through each week, mostly the sick and a small number of escorts, reports Al Jazeera.
“The border crossing is closed. Why is this happening to pilgrims? They want to fulfil their Hajj obligation, they do not want to do anything else,” a Palestinian said.
“We were supposed to be there, we were supposed to be there in these holy days,” she added as she watched footage of pilgrims in Mecca on her phone.
Gazans will also mark Eid al-Adha on May 27 without sacrificial animals for a third straight year due to Israeli restrictions, Gaza’s agriculture ministry said.
Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s two main festivals, coincides with the Hajj and is marked by the slaughter of sheep or cattle, with meat shared among families and the poor.
The ministry said Israel’s military campaign since October 2023 had led to the “systematic destruction of the livestock sector”, with farms, barns, veterinary facilities and feed warehouses hit.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
