Egyptian police close main crossing to Gaza Strip

Egyptian authorities have closed the main crossing to the besieged Gaza Strip following the worsening security situation across the North African country.

Egyptian officials on Thursday closed the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip until further notice.

Authorities said the crossing will be shut down in both directions because of deteriorating security in Egypt.

The Egyptian interim authorities closed the border crossing for several days after the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in early July. However, it was later reopened for some specific hours a day.

On Wednesday, a violent clampdown on supporters of Morsi claimed hundreds of lives in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Over the past months, Egyptian military has also increased its crackdown on supply tunnels leading into Gaza. Impoverished Palestinians are forced to use underground tunnels to bring in essential supplies including food, fuel and medicine.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been stranded on the Egyptian side of the border since Wednesday evening.

Some 800 people normally leave for Egypt and beyond through the Rafah crossing, the only passageway leading to the rest of the world for most Gazans.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007. The siege has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.