Palestinian Pilgrim, Khalidiya Hamdan, Killed and Four Injured by Israeli Occupation Soldiers at Erez Crossing

Gazan pilgrim killed and four injured by Israeli fire at Erez crossing

Date: 31 / 12 / 2007 Time: 11:04

Gaza – Ma'an –

A Palestinian female pilgrim ( Hajja) was killed and at least four other pilgrims were injured on Sunday evening as the Israeli forces opened fire at the crowds of pilgrims at Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, Ma'an's reporter said.

Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that the Israeli soldiers fired randomly at the crowds of pilgrims while they were waiting for inspection killing Hajja Khaldiya Hamdan 55 and injuring four others including one seriously injured.

Seven hundred pilgrims returned to Gaza Strip on Sunday via Jordan after they completed the Hajj annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia .

The pilgrims were taken to the Israeli side of Beit Hanoon (Erez crossing) in 12 buses.

Those 700 pilgrims had headed to Saudi Arabia through Erez crossing in coordination with the Palestinian minister of endowment in the Ramallah-based caretaker government.

Stranded Gazan pilgrims at Al-Arish in Egypt threaten to use violence

Date: 31 / 12 / 2007 Time: 12:01

Gaza – Ma'an –

Ma'an learned that the Palestinian Hajj pilgrims stranded at Al-Arish in Egypt on Monday threatened to use violence in case their suffering continues as they are denied entry through the Rafah crossing.

Some of the pilgrims told Ma'an via telephone, "If this dire situation continues, we will torch cars in the area and set fire to all our stuff in protest against this endless suffering."

They added that a woman called Khadra Mas'ud aged 50 was hospitalized in Al-Arish and she was in a very bad health condition. Furthermore, the rest of the pilgrims are suffering from cold weather in the desert, especially that most of them are elderly people.

According to Awad Abu Madkur, head of Hajj association, the pilgrims were divided into three groups; two in the sports city and a third group near the football stadium 15 kilometers away.

Palestinian Legislative Council PLC member from Hamas bloc Dr Khamis Najjar told Ma'an that all the pilgrims need from the Egyptians was to send them to the Rafah crossing instead of keeping them at Al-Arish.

Palestinian minister of information Riyad Al-Maliki assured that president Abbas would address the stranded Hajj problem in his expected meeting with the Egyptian president Husni Mubarak during the coming two days.

Israeli army kills one Palestinian woman and injuries five others at Gaza borders Monday December 31, 2007 11:34 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News ghassanb at imemc dot org

Palestinian sources reported that one Palestinian woman was killed and five others injured while crossing the borders into the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Eyewitnesses said a group of 900 Palestinians who were allowed to leave the Gaza strip to go to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Muslim Hajj several months ago, were coming back through the Israeli Eriz border crossing to Gaza. They said a group of Israeli soldiers fired over the heads of the Palestinian pilgrims then fired at them, killing one and injuring five.

The 900 Palestinians had been allowed to leave the Coastal Region through Israel.

The Israeli army denied any shootings there, and said that the command of the Israeli army has not received any reports of shooting incidents at the Eriz crossing.

In related news the Egyptian police have moved 1000 Palestinian pilgrims who traveled several months ago, through the Egyptian Gaza borders using Rafah crossing, to get to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for hajj to a refugee camp in the Sinai desert.

Those 1000 Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing after an agreement between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the dominate Hamas party.

Israel criticized Egypt for this move stating that among those that left through the Rafah crossing were Hamas resistance fighter and leaders. Egypt suggested that those stranded are to be sent back to their homes in Gaza using an Israeli controlled crossing. Hamas refused and said that Israel will kidnap the Palestinians and use then to put pressure Hamas.

The standoff over the pilgrims began Saturday, when nearly 3,060 Palestinians pilgrims returning from the hajj reached the Egyptian Red Sea port of Nyweiba in southern Sinai, heading back to Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army withdrew from inside Gaza in 2005, since then it has controlled all border crossings leading in and out of the Coastal Region.

In late June 2007, shortly after Hamas took total control of the Coastal region, the Israeli army sealed off the Gaza strip completely, leaving the 1.5 million Palestinian living there lacking food, medicine.

In October 2007 the Israeli government announced the Gaza strip a "hostile entity" and ordered the army to step up attacks.

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