国际英语新闻：Egypt not to close Rafah crossing: official

CAIRO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Egypt will never close Rafah crossing and will never be part of attempts meant to increase sufferings of the Palestinians, Egypt's Minister of State for Legal Affairs Mofied Shehab said Monday.

"Rafah crossing will remain open to Palestinians and there is no need for any outbidding on the Egyptian support of the Palestinian issue," the official MENA news agency quoted the minster as saying when he met with Palestinian ambassador in Cairo Barkat el-Fara.

Shehab called on the Palestinian factions to sign the Egyptian- proposed reconciliation document to end internal division.

"We have to put aside all internal differences to push forward the peace process," he added.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered on June 1 to open the Rafah border crossing to allow stranded Palestinians and humanitarian assistance in and out of Gaza Strip which has been under tight Israeli siege since June 2007.