Alert prevents opening of Gaza-Egypt crossing

Gaza, June 21 : An Israeli security alert today prevented the opening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, officials said.

Rafah did not open as scheduled because the Israeli army closed the nearby Kerem Shalom passage into Gaza that is used by European monitors to gain access to Rafah.

Israel also closed the Sufa crossing between Israel and Gaza because of the security alert.

''We didn't order Rafah to shut,'' an army spokeswoman said.

''They did it on the basis of Kerem Shalom.'' Officials said the Rafah crossing could reopen in the afternoon.

A spokesman for the European monitors said: ''We'll be ready to deploy (to Rafah) as soon as the alert is lifted.'' European monitors man the Rafah terminal under a US-brokered deal aimed at boosting the Gazan economy after Israel withdrew from the strip last year.

Reuters