Egypt sends 500 riot police to Gaza border

Ismailia: Egypt sent around 500 riot police to its border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, sparked by a potential Palestinian rally along the boundary.

Egypt officials said Hamas called for a rally near Rafah, and they sent troops to combat a potential storming of the frontier.
"Early this morning 500 policemen were sent to the area around Rafah crossing and along the border between Egypt and Gaza," one official said.

More security forces were stationed in the area and would be called upon if necessary, he added.

In July, hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Egyptian forces when they tried to force their way into Sinai, while in January, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians stormed into Egypt after Hamas breached the border in defiance of an Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip.