Egyptian security forces thwarted an attempt by Palestinians to blow up a hole in the Egypt-Gaza border wall on Sunday evening, the official MENA news agency reported.

Some Palestinians stranded at the Egyptian side of the border attempted to blow up a hole in the border wall, but were stopped by Egyptian border guards, said the report, adding that the situation was under control.

The Egyptian authorities have stepped up security measures along the border with the Gaza Strip and the Rafah border crossing after Palestinian militants blew part of the border wall and hundreds of Palestinians crossed into the Gaza Strip through the gap on Friday.

The Rafah crossing, the only gateway for Gazans to the world, has been shut since Palestinian militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier during a cross-border raid on June 25.

About 500 Palestinians were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border, according to MENA.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources were quoted by MENA as saying that the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing would be opened on Tuesday to allow stranded Palestinians into the Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua