Israeli blockade traps would-be Hajj pilgrim in Gaza
Al Jazeera released a video report showing that Palestinian would-be pilgrims preparing for the Hajj season are unable to cross the Rafah border because of the blockade. Saudi authorities said they have begun a diplomatic search for ways to fill the 1,200 slots allocated to Palestinians under the 2026 Hajj quota.
In a video report by Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum from the Rafah crossing, it is reported that of 1,200 Palestinian aspiring Hajj pilgrims who have been preparing since 2025, most cannot travel because the border is closed. Speaking in tears at Rafah, 67-year-old Ahmad Salem said 'I saved for 11 years intending to do Hajj; right now I just pray for my health'.
Saudi Hajj Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Bijawi told the channel that 'we preserve the 1,200 slot quota for our Palestinian brothers and work continues with the Palestinian Hajj delegation on flight-route alternatives (Cairo-Jeddah, Amman-Jeddah)'. Sources close to Türkiye's Directorate of Religious Affairs reported that an Egypt-Rafah-transit Turkish Airlines charter route was proposed. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 'on humanitarian grounds, limited passage through Rafah may be implemented'.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein told the BBC that 'all civilian movement is subject to security screening procedures'; OCHA acting humanitarian coordinator Andrea De Domenico said 'Hajj travel is an individual right that needs to be evaluated within the framework of international humanitarian law'. According to Palestinian Hajj delegation head Mahmoud Habbash, any quota unused by month-end will be transferred to the 2026 Hajj committee's decision to redistribute to Sudan and Yemen applicants.
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