Nigeria has declared the suspension of all pilgrimages to Israel in response to the recent outbreak of deadly violence over the weekend.
An organized group of Easter pilgrims, initially scheduled to travel to Israel and Jordan on Tuesday, had their trip canceled until further notice, as stated by the government’s Christian Pilgrim Commission.
Sunny Udeh, the commission’s director for mobilization and sensitization, expressed concerns about the ongoing war creating uncertainties regarding the main pilgrimage planned for December, hoping that hostilities would cease by the end of the year.
On average, approximately 18,000 Christian pilgrims from Nigeria embark on journeys to religious sites in Israel and Jordan each year.
The commission also emphasized its commitment to closely monitor the situation in Israel, with the safety of Nigerian pilgrims being a top priority.
The recent violence emerged when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel. During the ongoing hostilities, at least 1,200 Israelis lost their lives, while at least 1,000 Palestinians perished due to retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip by Tel Aviv.
The Nigerian government has called for the de-escalation of hostilities and a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, advocating for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue.
Remarkably, despite the chaos, commercial flights between Nigeria and Tel Aviv have remained uninterrupted.