Israeli seizure of Rafah crossing prevents 2,500 Palestinians from Hajj

Israel's carnage in besieged Gaza and invasion 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 blockaded enclave.

This is a "clear violation of religious freedom," ministry spokesperson Ikrami Al-Mudallal, told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

The war has prevented the ministry from completing the usual Hajj preparations, including signing transportation contracts within Egypt and Saudi Arabia and booking accommodations in Mecca and Medina, he added.

Al-Mudallal noted that "the closure of the Rafah crossing and the ongoing conflict has stopped 2,500 Gaza pilgrims, including accompanying missions, from travelling to perform Hajj."

"This group represents 38 percent 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 "blatant infringement" 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 percent are elderly or ill.

Royal gesture

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 enclave, 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 king 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 Program.

These pilgrims were chosen from those who had left Gaza either due to the war or for medical treatment.

In March 2023, the Ministry of Endowments in Gaza conducted a lottery to select pilgrims for 2023 and 2024 due to limited slots and the ongoing Israeli blockade, prioritising the elderly and sick.

The ministry condemned the situation at the end of May, saying the ongoing Israeli aggression, the occupation of the Rafah crossing and its closure since May 7 had prevented the completion of this year's Hajj season for Gaza pilgrims.

It called this "a clear violation of religious freedom and international humanitarian law."

The ministry urged Egypt and Saudi Arabia to pressure all parties, primarily the Israeli occupation, to enable Gaza residents to perform the Hajj this year, emphasising the significant emotional and financial impact on the affected pilgrims.

Genocidal war

Israel has killed at least 37,202 Palestinians — 71 percent of them being women, children and infants –– and wounded 84,932 with more than 10,000 believed to be buried under the debris of bombed homes.

Israeli authorities are responsible for "war crimes and crimes against humanity committed" during its attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to a UN-backed commission.

The Commission of Inquiry, established by the UN Human Rights Council, noted "a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza" including "starvation as a method of warfare".

Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because Israel has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies. UN agencies say over 1 million among Gaza's 2.4 million people could experience the highest level of starvation by mid-July.

At the International Court of Justice, Israel is accused of committing genocide against Palestinians.