As millions of Muslims from around the world gather in Mecca to commence the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip face a third consecutive year of profound exclusion. Israel`s ongoing shutdown of the borders and its comprehensive military blockade have effectively barred all eligible residents of the enclave from traveling to perform the sacred ritual. Even prior to the current conflict that erupted on October 7, 2024, entry and exit from Gaza were strictly controlled by Israeli authorities, but the current enforcement has entirely dismantled religious tourism.Thousands of elderly and sick individuals remain trapped in Gaza with fading hopes.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, more than 10,000 Palestinian citizens have been systematically prevented from performing Hajj over the past three years due to the closure of the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt. The ministry also revealed that at least 71 prospective pilgrims, who had won official selection draws in previous years, were killed in Israeli airstrikes before they could ever embark on the journey. Currently, the majority of Gaza`s 2.3 million people remain internally displaced, living in tents amidst rubble, with the death toll from the ongoing offensive surpassing 72,775 Palestinians. Despite an October 2025 ceasefire, Israeli forces continue to occupy more than 60 percent of the territory.
A May 2026 study published by the Palestinian Center for Political Studies (PCPS) characterizes the destruction of Gaza’s Hajj and Umrah sector as a "structural economic genocide." The report indicates a total collapse of all 78 licensed travel companies within the enclave, with the vast majority of their offices physically destroyed by military operations. This has resulted in direct capital losses exceeding $4 million, in addition to approximately $3 million in frozen funds held by international airlines and hotels in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, dealing a fatal blow to an industry that previously injected $12 million annually into the local economy.
Legal experts argue that the deliberate destruction of the religious tourism sector and the denial of travel permissions constitute a form of "collective punishment," which is explicitly prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Furthermore, preventing residents from traveling for religious purposes violates basic rights to freedom of religion and freedom of movement secured under international human rights covenants. Consequently, Gaza`s annual quota of 3,000 pilgrims is currently being temporarily allocated to West Bank residents and Palestinians holding Gaza IDs residing outside the country, while the local ministry appeals for international intervention to separate religious duties from political conflicts.
