On Monday, Palestinian pilgrims in Gaza departed to Saudi Arabia for the Muslim Umrah pilgrimage for the first in two years.
In a statement, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said the first group of pilgrims left Gaza for Saudi Arabia through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Chairman of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Companies in Gaza, Awad Abu Madkour, said the first batch of pilgrims was made up of 298 people.
Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages were suspended in 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus.
In recent days, a delegation representing Hajj and Umrah agencies in Gaza agreed with the Egyptian authorities to reopen the Cairo International Airport for pilgrims from Gaza.
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