Tourism companies in Gaza have called on Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi to open the Rafah crossing and allow Gazans to travel, Falesteen newspaper reported.

In a statement, the Association of Owners of Tourism and Pilgrimage Companies said: “We call for the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi to urgently open the Rafah crossing to let pilgrims from Gaza travel to Saudi Arabia like other Muslims in the Arab and Islamic countries.”

It expressed its fears that this year’s pilgrimage would fail if the Rafah crossing remained closed and this would also cause the tourism companies losses.

“We hope the Egyptian president answers our calls so as he stops our daily financial losses,” the statement said.

They went on to called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to put pressure on the Egyptian president, reminding him of the failure of last year’s pilgrimage.

Read: Haniyeh: Gaza borders with Egypt made 'safe by a political decision'