Stranded Gaza pilgrims to return home

More than 1000 Palestinian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia will start returning home on Monday, a Gaza official said Saturday. Minister of Endowment in Gaza, Ismail Radwan, told reporters that following cooperation with Egypt, a plan for pilgrims to return home had been agreed. "Through our continuous follow up with all the competent authorities to resolve this crisis, the Egyptian authorities agreed to permit the return of the trapped pilgrims through Cairo International Airport," he explained. "The Egyptian side informed the Palestinian embassy in Cairo and the administration of Cairo airport about agreeing to allow the return of the pilgrims through Cairo airport." Radwan urged Palestinian airlines to speed up the process and arrange return flights for the pilgrims. Mahmoud al-Habbash, Minister of Religious Affairs in Ramallah confirmed that the pilgrims would begin their return on Monday. He said the closure of Arish International Airport due to the security conditions in Sinai caused difficulties, but thanked all the parties for reaching a swift resolution. Hammash claimed that President Mahmoud Abbas's intervention to end the crisis played "a great role," and he also praised the cooperation shown by the Egyptian side to facilitate ending this crisis and putting an end to the pilgrims' suffering.. Some 1600 Palestinian pilgrims have been stranded in Saudi Arabia while performing the Umrah pilgrimage as unrest in Egypt has prevented them from returning home. Some 900 pilgrims from the Gaza Strip were due to return home last Wednesday, but could not travel due to turmoil which saw the Egyptian army overthrow President Mohammed Morsi.