Palestinian militants breach Gaza-Egypt border wall

ISMAILIA: Palestinian militants blew a three-metre (10-foot) hole in the Gaza-Egypt border wall on Thursday, in a bid to allow a crowd of about 5,000 Palestinians to enter Egypt, security and border sources said.   

The explosion was on the Palestinian side of the wall at the Salaheddin gate, and came despite heightened Egyptian security there. Egyptian police stopped any Palestinians coming through the hole into Egypt, the sources said.   

On Monday, Egypt deployed 1,300 civilian police officers to strengthen security along the Gaza-Egypt border over fears Palestinian militants might try to breach it.    

Last month Hamas gunmen blew a six-metre hole in the border wall, allowing nearly 1,000 stranded Palestinians to cross back home. Many had been trapped in Egypt since June, when Israel closed the border after Palestinian militants seized an Israeli soldier in a raid.   

Palestinians have in the past streamed through unofficial breaches in the wall in both directions to visit family and conduct business.   

Palestinian authorities technically control the crossing at Rafah but it can be blocked by Israel, whose forces are waging an offensive against militants in Gaza to try to free the captured soldier.