Hajj Pilgrims Caught in Internecine Rivalry, Beaten

Hamas enforcers are reportedly stopping Gazans trying to participate in the "Hajj" – the annual pilgrimage to Mecca – if they defied Hamas by registering in the Fatah-controlled West Bank. The Associated Press reports eye-witness accounts of Hamas members beating those who try to avoid makeshift barriers being set up to catch the Hajj participants. Saudi Arabia, the host nation for the Hajj, establishes quotas for participation by residents of the various Arab nations. The Saudis cooperate with the Fatah government in the West Bank, spurring some Gazans to register there instead of in Hamas-controlled Gaza.