Gazans barred from Haj, animal sacrifice as major Muslim festival nears
Palestinians in Gaza are facing restrictions that prevent them from performing the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Many, like Najia Abu Lehia, mourn their inability to fulfill this religious obligation due to ongoing border closures and conflict. Additionally, Gazans will celebrate Eid al-Adha without the traditional sacrificial animals for the third consecutive year due to Israeli restrictions on livestock imports.
- ▪Najia Abu Lehia expresses her sorrow over not being able to perform the Haj with her late husband due to war and border closures.
- ▪Only a few hundred people have been allowed to cross the Rafah border weekly, primarily for humanitarian reasons.
- ▪Gaza's agriculture ministry reports that Israeli military actions have led to the destruction of the livestock sector, impacting Eid al-Adha celebrations.
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Gazans barred from Haj, animal sacrifice as major Muslim festival nearsSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPalestinian Najia Abu Lehia (right) sits with her grandchildren inside a tent at a camp for displaced people in Gaza, as she speaks about her wish to perform haj amid restrictions preventing Palestinians in Gaza from travelling to Saudi Arabia. PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 20, 2026, 08:54 PMUpdated May 20, 2026, 09:03 PMListenGAZA/CAIRO - In a tent in southern Gaza, Ms Najia Abu Lehia mourns not only her husband but also their failure to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, or Haj, together before he died a year ago because of war and border closures.Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is Islam’s holiest city, and the Haj is one of its Five Pillars, a mandatory duty for Muslims who…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.