Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will sponsor the haj pilgrimage of 1,000 Palestinians whose family members were killed during the latest Israeli offensive on Gaza. This brings to 12,000 the number of Palestinians, whose family members had either died or gone to prison, who have been personally sponsored by King Abdullah to perform the pilgrimage.

Saleh Al-Asheikh, minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance, appreciated the king for his support to Palestinians.

“This display of hospitality by our leader emphasizes that our Kingdom is tasked with serving Islam, Muslims and the holy sites,” said Al-Asheikh.

The minister said this is the sixth such initiative in a row and is part of continued Saudi support for the Palestinian people.

“The ministry has come up with a special program to host the Palestinian pilgrims and help them perform the religious rituals comfortably,” he said.

“The ministry will make every effort to ensure that their stay is comfortable and their pilgrimage successful.” ARAB NEWS