Pilgrims’ Progress

The Independent‘s coverage of the Palestinian hajj pilgrims in Sinai proves that “stranded” isn’t an accurate description. Correspondent Eric Silver writes:

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that about 360 genuine pilgrims broke ranks and began returning to Gaza via Kerem Shalom and Erez yesterday.

Seeing is believing:

Palestinians, returning from the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, cross the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip after arriving from Egypt Monday, Dec. 31, 2007. Another group of Palestinian pilgrims, include some members of the militant Hamas group, have rejected Egypt’s demands that they enter Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Aouja border crossing.
(AP Photo / Tsafrir Abayov)