Egypt to continue efforts to lift Gaza blockade

Egypt is continuing efforts to lift the seven-year blockade on the Gaza Strip, the country's foreign ministry said Sunday.

"This comes in the light of the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip along with Egypt's role to stop bloodshed of Palestinians," MENA news agency quoted a ministry statement as saying.

Egypt was keen, since the start of the Israeli onslaught in the Gaza Strip, to keep the Rafah crossing open and allow people and humanitarian aid to pass in order to alleviate the suffering of the Gazans, the statement said.

The number of people who passed from the two sides reached more than 7,500.

Since 2007, Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza.

It severely restricts all border crossings in territory it controls and naval pathways into the Strip.

Before Israel occupied Gaza, it was controlled for some years by Egypt, which borders Gaza on the west.

The present Israeli offensive in Gaza that began July 8 in the restive enclave has killed over 1,900 Palestinians and left over 9,500 wounded, including around 2,800 children.