CAIRO, May 7. /TASS/. Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing on the border with the Gaza Strip, but its operation has been suspended by Israeli forces on the Palestinian side, the Al Hadath television channel reported.

"Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing but traffic through it has been suspended after Israeli forces took control of it on the Gaza Strip side," it said,

According to the Rafah crossing officials on the Egyptian side, the checkpoint’s employees on the Palestinian side were not hurt when Israeli forces seized the crossing. They are expected to resume work "as soon as Israeli troops leave the crossing point’s zone."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier that the Israeli military have taken control of the Palestinian part of the Rafah border crossing. "IDF ground troops are continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist operatives and infrastructure in the area of the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah," it said.

Egypt’s foreign ministry has condemned the Israeli operation ii the city of Rafah and the crossing point with the same name. "This dangerous escalation is a threat to the lives of more than one million Palestinians who depend on humanitarian deliveries via the Rafah crossing," the ministry said, adding that the sick and the wounded are evacuated from Gaza via this checkpoint as well.