GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In the wedding hall of El-Helou international hotel north of Gaza City, everything was spectacular: the decorations, lights and flowers. The bride, Fatima al-Awda, was mesmerizing in her white gown. All that was missing was the groom.
Wael Mhanna was not able to attend his own wedding in person because the Rafah crossing — the only means of accessing the Gaza Strip from Egypt — has been closed almost entirely since July 2013.