Hamas Movement and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) blamed each other for the crisis of the pilgrims of Gaza. Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Nabil Amr said: "Egypt has officially notified them of opening the Rafah border crossing for three days as of last Saturday before patients and pilgrims. In addition, the embassy sent cars and representative from the Ministry of Wakfs (religious endowment) and the embassy, but Hamas denied the pilgrims access to Egypt." The pilgrims are usually chosen by lot and the Arab countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, only recognize the PNA in Ramallah and Salam Fayyad government. Therefore, visas have been only given to pilgrims whose names where registered at the Ministry of Wakf in Ramallah, the ambassador added. 16,000 people from Gaza registered their names at the Ministry of Wakf in Ramallah to get visas in accordance with the quota allocated for Gaza, Amr said, adding: "Hamas kept the pilgrims who got visas as hostages till all people who registered their names in Gaza are allowed to travel. This is not allowed religiously, morally and politically." "Hamas has to allow those who have visas to travel and then we would search for a solution for the problem of the others. All pilgrims who have visas have also passports, and Egypt would never allow anyone to pass without a passport," Amr said. Spokesman for Hamas Movement Hamdi Barhoum held the PNA responsible for the crisis, accusing the PNA of discriminating between pilgrims on the grounds of political orientations. Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, he said the whole story is that "Saudi Arabia did not give visas for the pilgrims who registered their names in Gaza while those who registered their names in Ramallah have no passports."
