Saudi Arabia places strict controls on the number of pilgrims entering the country - giving a quota to each government, who then select pilgrims.
But in the occupied Palestinian Territories the process encountered difficulties due to there being two de facto governments - Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Fatah in the West Bank.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah-aligned Palestinian president, attacked Hamas for not allowing Palestinians to leave Gaza.
"This is the third time in the history of Islam that the pilgrims are stopped from coming to Mecca," Abbas said while performing Hajj.
"The first time they were prevented to come was in the era of Quraish infidels and the second time were during the Qarmatians time and unfortunately the third time were in the time of Hamas."
Hamas officials say they are not to blame, and object that their list of pilgrim applicants were not granted any Saudi visas, while applicants from the Fatah-backed West Bank's government were granted them.
Garoweonline citing Source: Al Jazeera
But in the occupied Palestinian Territories the process encountered difficulties due to there being two de facto governments - Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Fatah in the West Bank.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah-aligned Palestinian president, attacked Hamas for not allowing Palestinians to leave Gaza.
"This is the third time in the history of Islam that the pilgrims are stopped from coming to Mecca," Abbas said while performing Hajj.
"The first time they were prevented to come was in the era of Quraish infidels and the second time were during the Qarmatians time and unfortunately the third time were in the time of Hamas."
Hamas officials say they are not to blame, and object that their list of pilgrim applicants were not granted any Saudi visas, while applicants from the Fatah-backed West Bank's government were granted them.
Garoweonline citing Source: Al Jazeera
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