Some 200 Palestinians traveling from the Gaza Strip to Egypt on Saturday stormed the iron gate at the Rafah border crossing, shut for the first time since it reopened last month, local media said.
Several buses carrying Palestinians queued at the gate, which remained closed several hours after the scheduled opening time.
Egyptian security officers lined up carrying clubs to stop any border breach, some of those waiting responded by forcing the gate open.
The move came one week after Egypt decided to open its border with the Strip permanently and put an end to nearly four-year-long blockade.
“We have not been notified of any reason for the closure,” Ayub Abu Shaa, head of the Hamas police unit at Rafah said.
CNN reported that Egyptians were doing maintenance on the vehicle crossing from Gaza into Egypt and had to close it down for the repairs. But none informed Gaza officials about the work.
GAZA, June 4 (RIA Novosti)