Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced on Monday that the Rafah crossing on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would be reopened under an international agreement.

Abbas told reporters in Gaza City that "we will follow up the border issue seriously with Egypt till we reach an international agreement. Before then, we have to be patient."

Abbas asserted that the Palestinian side has started controlling the border with Egypt and begun refurbishing the Rafah crossing.

Meanwhile, Israeli sources said Israel has held contact with the European Union during the past few days aimed at reaching an agreement to allow the presence of the third international parties on the borderline between Gaza and Egypt.

Thousands of Palestinians forced their way across the border into Egypt following the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip since last Monday.

The border chaos has made Israel urge Egypt to tighten border control.

Currently, some 750 Egyptian border police and 1,500 Palestinian security forces have been deployed along the border line to block the flux of border trespassers.

Source: Xinhua