RIYADH (AlArabiya.net, Agencies)
Saudi Arabia slammed a Hamas official on Sunday for accusing the oil-rich kingdom of refusing to grant visas to Palestinians in the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip who want to go on the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
A foreign ministry spokesman, quoted by the official SPA news agency, said visas for the annual pilgrimage to the holy Saudi city of Mecca were being granted through the Palestinian Authority of president Mahmoud Abbas.
"Saudi Arabia treats all Palestinians on an equal footing and it has increased the number of visas granted to Gaza residents because of their circumstances," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The Islamist movement Hamas posted remarks on Saturday on its website accusing Riyadh of allowing thousands of people registered with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to have pilgrimage visas but not the 2,200 in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza who applied through Hamas.
"All of the Kingdom’s entry points are ready to welcome Palestinian pilgrims who will be given all facilities to perform their Haj rituals comfortably,” the official said, adding that such false statements are not in the interests of the Palestinian people.
Saudi authorities have granted visas to some 3,000 Gazans who registered for hajj through the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas seized control of the impoverished Gaza Strip in June 2007 from forces loyal to Abbas, whose writ now holds sway only in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Witnesses and would-be pilgrims told AFP on Saturday that Hamas prevented scores of Muslims wanting to travel to Mecca from reaching the Rafah border with Egypt.
Egypt had announced on Friday that the Rafah crossing would be open for three days from Saturday to allow the passage of some 3,000 Palestinian pilgrims with Saudi visas.
Hamas said last week that it would not allow would-be pilgrims who obtained visas through the West Bank authorities to join the hajj unless Hamas was also given a quota to allocate to the faithful. |
