Israel demands closure of Gaza-Egypt border

A senior Israeli defence official today challenged the Palestinian Authority to close the open border between Gaza and Egypt, saying its credibility was on the line over its failure to stop the flow of gunrunners and others across the frontier.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have both said they fear al-Qaida terrorists will infiltrate Gaza through the open Gaza-Egypt border, where Palestinians and Egyptians have been crossing with virtually no border controls since Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza on Monday.