Palestinian Pilgrims Leave Gaza Strip for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Ramallah, 28 Dzulqa’dah 1437/31 August 2016 (MINA) – The first batch of Palestinian pilgrims left Gaza Strip through the land border crossing of Rafah for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tuesday to perform Hajj rituals.

Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said the pilgrims will leave the sector by an average of three trips a day, each one comprising 266 pilgrims of the total of 2318 pilgrims from Gaza Strip, SPA reported.

Besside them, as many as 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims will perform hajj this year as the guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

They represent the families of the martyrs in the occupied lands, said an official with the guest pilgrim program.

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Egypt has opened its sole crossing with Gaza to allow Muslims to travel to Mecca for the Hajj.

The border crossing will be open this week from Tuesday through Thursday to facilitate the holy Islamic pilgrimage, Egyptian officials said, according to the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency.

The crossing was last opened in early July, when 3,099 residents entered Egypt via the Rafah crossing during a five-day open period for “humanitarian purposes’. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)