Meanwhile, Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, later said he had ordered his troops to allow Palestinians to cross into Egypt because they were starving.
"I told them to let them come in and eat and buy food and then return them later as long as they were not carrying weapons," he said.
The move came after Egyptian troops had fired in the air and used batons and water canons to beat back Gazans trying to push through the previous day.
The response drew drawn angry protests and complaints that Gaza was under siege not just from Israel but also by neighbouring Arab countries.
Shopping spree
Palestinians were also told by the Hamas leadership in Gaza that they should respect Egyptian security forces, get what they need, and return to Gaza, El-Kahky said.
Al Jazeera's Samir Omar said all shops in Rafah were open to enable Palestinians to buy food and medicines.
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Egypt says they will not allow the
Palestinians to 'starve' [AFP] |
Witnesses said some Palestinians were only seeking to stock up on necessities, but others might stay longer in Rafah to meet relatives stranded in Arish.
On foot, in cars or riding donkey carts, the Palestinians went on a massive shopping spree, buying cigarettes, plastic bottles of fuel, and other items that have become scarce and expensive.
But Israel expressed concern that fighters and weapons might also be entering Gaza amid the chaos, and said responsibility for restoring order lay with Egypt.