Egypt uncovers 5 smuggling tunnels near Gaza border

Egyptian security forces have in recent days discovered five tunnels on the border with Gaza used to smuggle contraband into the coastal territory, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.

A security official said the tunnels, found north of the Egyptian border town of Rafah, would be destroyed.

Egypt on Saturday opened its border with the Gaza Strip for limited numbers of humanitarian cases, a Hamas spokesman said.

The spokesman, Adel Zourob, added that the Rafah crossing point will be open for two days for patients, students and Palestinians who are holders of residency permits in other countries.

The names of the individuals who would be allowed to leave Gaza appeared on the Web site of Hamas' interior ministry. The militant Islamist movement is in control of the Gaza Strip.

The spokesman slammed Egypt's procedures on the crossing, saying that "the policy of long-waits and piling up the travelers on the crossing would increase the suffering of 1.5 million Palestinians."

Israel and Egypt closed their border with the Gaza Strip in 2007 after Hamas took over the territory by force. Since then, Egypt has periodically allowed the departure and return of humanitarian cases.

Following Israel's offensive in Gaza in January 2009, Egypt has opened the crossing for patients, wounded and international medical teams.