RAMALLAH – Israeli soldiers manning the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the West Bank barred 14 Palestinians who were traveling to Makkah to perform Haj this year as part of the generous gesture of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a Palestinian official said. Issa Qaraqi', the Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, said that the soldiers barred five male and female Palestinians who were recently released from Israeli jails. The minister identified the five as Bilal Diab, Tha'er Halahleh, Ja'far Izz Al-Din, Khader Adnan, and Ramya Abu Samreh. Qaraqi' added that the Israeli soldiers also barred the relatives of the prisoners Abbas Al-Sayyed, Mohammed Shraim, Salah Al-Din Abu Jalbous, Mohammed Jaradat, Fatimah Abu Zahra, Wasfi Daoud, Morad Suleiman, and the brothers Mohammed and Ra'ed Omran, from traveling to Makkah. He said that the Israeli security authorities did not explain the reason behind the decision. The minister said that his ministry and the Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs “made several contacts with the Israeli authorities to resolve the issue but to no avail.” The 14 were part of the 2,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip that King Abdullah decided to host this year as his guests to perform Haj. The guests include relatives of martyrs as well as relatives of prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails. Qaraqi' said that the guests were selected equally and according to special criteria from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The minister said that the transportation and housing costs of the pilgrims were covered by King Abdullah. Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Mahmoud Habash said that the situation in the housing of the pilgrims who are guests of King Abdullah is excellent. He thanked the King for this gesture.
