Stranded Palestinian pilgrims in Egypt threaten hunger strike
A senior Hamas official among thousands of Palestinian pilgrims stranded in Egypt threatened Tuesday the group would begin a hunger strike unless they be allowed to return to the Gaza Strip through a border crossing not controlled by Israel. Ayman Taha's threat came a day after some of the pilgrims housed in temporary shelters in northern Sinai burned mattresses and broke windows, protesting Egypt's refusal to
let them enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Hamas officials among the more than 3,000 pilgrims who recently completed the haj in Saudi Arabia, fear they will be arrested if they return through the Israeli-controlled entrance at Aouja, known as Kerem Shalom in Israel. (AP)
