“Egypt allowed palestinian pilgrims to pass”
“Around 800 palestinians have left the Gaza strip through Egypt to begin a pilgrimage to Mecca in saudi Arabia. It is the first time since 2014 that the egyptian authorities have approved a visa for such a trip.”
“the Pilgrims met in the dawn of the buses on the egyptian side for onward transmission to Cairo airport, according to a palestinian official. 15 palestinians were not allowed to cross the border. The cause is not known.”
“the border Crossing at Rafah is the only Gaza that is not controlled by Israel. It has been largely closed in recent years, but were reopened about ten months ago.”
“The current pilgrimage is about a umra, the so-called small hajj pilgrimage which muslims can perform at any time during the year. The major pilgrimage, the hajj, takes place at the end of the islamic year and is one of islam’s five pillars.”
