Taleb Abu Sha'er, minister of waqf and religious affairs in the Gaza Strip, said the committee “is working to make fool-proof arrangements for the upcoming Haj.”

Abu Sha'er said that the committee is not headed by any official from the Fatah-run government in the West Bank or the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip.

He added that Hamas “is determined to neutralize the Haj plan from any political disputes, so that Palestinian pilgrims can perform the Haj smoothly and comfortably.”

The minister noted that “this Haj season faced some obstacles” but he called on Palestinians “not to raise these issues.” He declined to explain these obstacles.

Fatah has been at odds with Hamas since 2007 after it took over the Gaza Strip and routed Fatah forces that now hold sway in the West Bank. Since then, pilgrims from Gaza have been asked to register through West Bank government to obtain Haj visas.

Some Gazans found ways to send their passports to Ramallah, and most registered at special travel agencies or the Waqf Ministry in Ramallah directly. These pilgrims include Palestinian members of Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

However, Hamas government prevented them from leaving Gaza Strip. It said that the registration must be carried out in an orderly manner, and only through the Waqf Ministry in Gaza.

Its police confiscated the lists of people who had registered in offices that worked with Ramallah, and detained their owners for questioning. Some warned that anyone coordinating the Haj through Ramallah would be brought to trial.

The Hamas government was convinced that the procedure is an attack on its legitimacy and authority, and part of the West Bank government's plans to disrupt order in Gaza.