Palestinian rivals cooperate for Gaza haj trip

Hundreds of Gaza Palestinians set off for Mecca on Friday for the annual haj pilgrimage, after bitter rivals Fatah and Hamas set aside their dispute to agree on a list of 4,500 participants from the strip.

Israel also cooperated by allowing the transfer of vaccine to Gaza for the H1N1 flu virus, to protect the pilgrims from the disease, and inoculations were administered as pilgrims entered Egypt via the Rafah crossing at the southern tip of the strip. (Reuters)