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A Palestinian pilgrim waves as she leaves through the Rafah border. (Reuters) |
GAZA CITY — Chanting "We are answering you God, Only God" and waving Ka`bah posters, hundreds of white-robed Palestinians were allowed Monday, December 3, to cross from the besieged Gaza Strip into Egypt en route to Saudi Arabia for hajj after being stranded on the Palestinian side of Rafah for days.
"I was holding my breath that they won't open the Rafah crossing and miss hajj," one pilgrim, who refused to be named, told IslamOnline.net.
"We have been waiting for years to see this dream come true," added the tearful pilgrim.
Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the outside world, and let through hundreds of Palestinians on their way to hajj in Saudi Arabia.
"The Egyptian security forces treated us in a decent way," the pilgrim said, before embarking on an Egyptian bus heading to the Red Sea harbor of Nuwbei.
On Thursday, November 29, the pilgrims staged a demonstration, demanding the opening of the crossing.
The Rafah crossing has remained closed for most of the time since Hamas took over the impoverished strip from rival Fatah in June.
Israel has sealed the entire Strip after Hamas takeover with Palestinian patients taking the blunt of the deadly closures.
Last month, at least five Palestinian patients died because they were not allowed by Israeli authorities to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment either in Israel or Egypt.
Only Option
The Palestinians would spend days and nights stranded on the crossing to spare themselves humiliation and even arrests at the Israeli-manned Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing.
"We could have gone to other crossings like Erez, but it would mean then endless sufferings at the hands of Israeli soldiers," Yasser Mokat, 50, told IOL.
He said hajj is an exhausting, long odyssey that Muslims should be in good shape and spirits.
"Taking another route (other than Rafah) is not an option," he added, hoping that "sisterly" Egypt would re-open the crossing for more Palestinians in the days to come.
But Egypt's "foot-dragging" to open the crossing has touched raw nerves.
"Why is Egypt reluctant to open the crossing?" fumed Sohaila Abu Sawirh, 48.
"With one word, it can relieve our sufferings."
Under Saudi Arabia’s hajj system, Gaza will send 2,200 Muslims to this year's hajj, which starts later this month.
One of the five pillars of Islam, hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim — who can financially afford the trip — must perform hajj once in their lifetime.
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