BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. In 2023, prior to the outbreak of conflict, at least 3,000 pilgrims from Gaza performed Hajj annually.
TurkicWorld reports that under the ceasefire mediated by the United States, Israel partially reopened the Rafah crossing Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world in February. However, only a few hundred people per week, mainly patients and a small number of companions, are allowed to pass.
A Gaza resident described the situation: “The crossing is closed. Why are pilgrims treated this way? They just want to perform Hajj, nothing else. We should have been there during these sacred days.”
According to the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture, due to Israeli restrictions, Gaza residents will be unable to perform animal sacrifices for the third consecutive year during Eid al-Adha. The ministry noted that although Eid al-Adha coincides with Hajj on May 27, Israel’s military operations since October 2023 have “systematically destroyed” the livestock sector; farms, warehouses, veterinary facilities, and feed stocks have been damaged.
