Egypt closes Rafah crossing after deadly attack in Sinai

Egypt on Saturday shut down Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip following the deadly attack in Sinai on Friday, officials said.
The Gaza-based Corporation for crossings and borders said in an emailed press statement that Egyptian authorities have officially informed the Palestinian side on the closure of the main crossing for the coastal enclave.
"Egypt informed us today morning that it shut down Rafah crossing until a further notice due to the deteriorated security situation in Sinai," said the statement.
On Friday, a series of deadly attacks carried out by militants, in Sinai in Egypt killed at least 30 Egyptian soldiers and wounded dozens. In the wake of the attack, Egypt declares a state of emergency in the Sinai Peninsula.
Rafah crossing point is the only gate for around 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip that has been under an Israeli blockade imposed since the violent takeover of Hamas movement to the enclave in 2007.
Over the past eight years, Egypt has been temporarily opening the crossing for humanitarian cases, mainly students studying abroad, patients who need urgent medical care and Palestinians holding double nationalities.