Hundreds of Palestinians who made the pilgrimage to Mecca are stranded on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border following a dispute over security checks.
The Israeli authorities say they must pass through the Israeli border crossing at Rafah to check whether they are carrying arms or money for Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.
However, some of the Palestinians left the Gaza Strip via an Egyptian border crossing; they say they should not have to be subjected to an Israeli security check on their reutrn.
The deadlock led to a heated debate in the Egyptian parliament on Sunday. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says the issue should be solved through quiet diplomacy.
By Copyright Radio Netherlands 2007
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
