Gazans barred from Hajj and Eid

Reuters reported on May 20 that Palestinians in Gaza will again be unable to travel for the Hajj pilgrimage and are set to mark a third consecutive Eid al-Adha without ritual animal sacrifice. The twin restrictions come as Eid al-Adha is due to begin on May 27 and as movement in and out of Gaza remains tightly limited. Before the war that began in 2023, at least 3,000 Gazans performed Hajj each year, according to Reuters. This year, residents and officials say war damage, border controls and the collapse of Gaza’s livestock sector have again blocked two of the most visible religious markers of the season. ### Why can’t Gazans leave for Hajj this year? The Rafah crossing with Egypt remains the central bottleneck for Gaza residents seeking to travel. Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Israel allowed a partial reopening of Rafah in February, but Reuters reported that only a few hundred people have been permitted to pass each week, mostly the sick and a small number of escorts. (arabnews.com) COGAT, the Israeli military agency that oversees access to Gaza, told Reuters that the Rafah arrangement allows passage only for humanitarian cases. COGAT said traveler lists are determined by Egyptian authorities and approved by Israeli security services. Gaza’s Hamas-run government media office said only 5,304 people had traveled in and out of Gaza since February, which it said was less than a third of expected numbers. (straitstimes.com) Najia Abu Lehia, a 64-year-old displaced woman in Khan Younis interviewed by Reuters, said she and her husband had been selected for Hajj before the war but never made the trip. Her husband died a year ago. “The border crossing is closed,” she told Reuters. “Why is this happening to pilgrims?” ### How unusual is it for Gaza to miss the pilgrimage? (ndtv.com) Before 2023, at least 3,000 Gazan pilgrims made the Hajj every year, according to Reuters. The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of Islam’s Five Pillars and is required once in a lifetime for Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it. The disruption is not new. In May 2024, Gaza’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said thousands of Palestinians were barred from Hajj after Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. (straitstimes.com) Anadolu reported at the time that the ministry called the move a violation of freedom of worship and appealed to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to press for access. ### Why is Eid al-Adha also being marked without animal sacrifice? Gaza’s agriculture ministry said Gazans will mark Eid al-Adha on May 27 without sacrificial animals for a third straight year because of Israeli restrictions. Eid al-Adha traditionally includes the slaughter of sheep or cattle, with meat shared among relatives and poorer families. The livestock collapse has been documented for months. (aa.com.tr) An Associated Press report carried by Arab News in June 2025 said the United Nations estimated that 96% of Gaza’s livestock and 99% of its poultry were dead. The same report said no fresh meat had entered Gaza for three months at that point. U.N. humanitarian reporting has also described wider damage to food production. OCHA said in a November 2025 update that only 4% of Gaza’s cropland was undamaged and accessible, and that fresh meat was among the relief items rejected for entry because Israeli authorities did not consider it within the scope of humanitarian aid. (ndtv.com) OCHA also said access to agricultural land beyond the “Yellow Line” remained barred. (arabnews.com) ### What does this look like on the ground for families? Khan Younis and other parts of Gaza have seen residents preparing for Eid in displacement camps rather than in normal markets and homes. Reuters described Abu Lehia watching footage of pilgrims in Mecca on her phone while speaking from a tent encampment in southern Gaza. March 27, 2026, was already marked under tightened restrictions, according to OCHA, which said many Palestinian families observed Eid al-Fitr amid continuing safety risks and limits on imports of critically needed goods into Gaza. (ochaopt.org) The next immediate milestone is May 27, when Eid al-Adha begins and Gaza residents are expected to face the holiday without Hajj departures and without sacrificial animals. (ochaopt.org) (straitstimes.com)