AhlulBayt News Agency: As Israel’s devastating war on Gaza persists, along with the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade, Hajj pilgrims from Gaza are unable to feel joy in their sacred journey.
Palestinian pilgrim Mohammed Shehade, who left Gaza to seek life-saving cancer treatment in Egypt, described his rare opportunity to perform Hajj as overshadowed by fear for his family trapped under relentless bombardment. Despite his departure in February, he was unable to bring his wife and four children with him, leaving him filled with anguish even as he visits the holy sites in Mecca.
“This is life's greatest suffering, to be far away from your family,” Shehade said, explaining that while Hajj is a deeply spiritual experience, it feels incomplete without his loved ones. Alongside hundreds of fellow Gazans and over a million worshippers from around the world, he prays day and night for an end to the war and the chance to reunite with his family.
Since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, the Gaza health ministry reports at least 4,149 additional deaths, bringing the total war casualties to 54,418, mostly civilians. With aid blocked and famine warnings issued by the United Nations, Shehade lamented the difficulty of leaving Gaza during a fragile truce, torn between seeking medical treatment and abandoning his family.
Around 1,350 Gazans, primarily those residing in Egypt, along with 500 invited guests of the Saudi king, will perform Hajj this year, Palestinian officials said. Rajaee Rajeh al-Kahlout, another Gazan pilgrim, fled with his family months after the war began, leaving behind a destroyed home and a shattered business. “Every waking moment, we fear for our family,” he said, urging fellow pilgrims to pray for peace and reunification.
In Mecca’s Al-Nuzha Plus hotel, where Gazan pilgrims are staying, a widow in her 60s shared that she has not seen her ten children since she was evacuated for medical reasons last year. Praying for the “children of Palestine” suffering in Gaza, she expressed her longing to return home.
/129
Your Comment