RAFAH, Gaza (CNN) -- Despite an Egyptian official's pledge to keep the border with Gaza open as long as there is a humanitarian crisis, Egyptian forces Friday started clamping down on the free flow of Palestinians.
Palestinians on Wednesday break through a wall separating Egypt from Gaza.
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Egyptian security forces in riot gear formed a human chain along parts of the nation's border with Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have crossed back and forth with little interference for the past two days.
The Egyptian forces kept the Gazans at bay with water cannons, cattle prods and clubs.
Despite that, Palestinians managed to tear down a new section of the border wall Friday, and cross-movement showed few signs of slowing down.
Uniformed Hamas security forces also gathered at the crossing, trying to keep Palestinians away from the Egyptian border police.
Video from the scene and witness reports indicated thousands of Palestinians were still managing to bring in flatbed trucks filled with goods such as gasoline, cooking oil and other necessities, a week after Israel cut off supplies to Gaza.
Tensions rose at the crossing two days after Palestinians blasted through concrete and metal walls at Rafah, triggering the exodus.
Egyptian guards aimed a water cannon above the crowd to force them away from the border, The Associated Press reported.
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Palestinians in Gaza have faced difficulty obtaining supplies since Israel sealed its border with Gaza to quell rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. More than 50 Egyptian military vehicles were seen rumbling toward the Rafah crossing from the northern Egyptian Sinai town of Al Arish, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have gathered and visited.
Town government officials were using megaphones to tell the people to head back home.
Despite the movement of Egyptian security forces toward the border with Gaza on Friday, the numbers of Palestinians at the border crossing on Friday equaled or surpassed the number there on Wednesday and Thursday. AP reported that cranes were being used to lift supplies over the border wall into Gaza.
Palestinian visitors into Egypt included women wearing fresh makeup and dressed in finely embroidered clothing who were en route to weddings which they said were quickly moved up so Gazans could attend, according to AP.
One Gazan visitor, Yousef Mohammed, 17, told AP he had delayed his trip across the border until Friday so he could gather money to shop in Egypt. "They don't want us to go in," Mohammed said, pointing at Egyptian guards.
The United States and Israel have pressured Egypt to close the open border areas, worried that terrorists with weapons could travel undetected from Egypt into the Palestinian territory.
Palestinians on Wednesday break through a wall separating Egypt from Gaza.
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Egyptian security forces in riot gear formed a human chain along parts of the nation's border with Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have crossed back and forth with little interference for the past two days.
The Egyptian forces kept the Gazans at bay with water cannons, cattle prods and clubs.
Despite that, Palestinians managed to tear down a new section of the border wall Friday, and cross-movement showed few signs of slowing down.
Uniformed Hamas security forces also gathered at the crossing, trying to keep Palestinians away from the Egyptian border police.
Video from the scene and witness reports indicated thousands of Palestinians were still managing to bring in flatbed trucks filled with goods such as gasoline, cooking oil and other necessities, a week after Israel cut off supplies to Gaza.
Tensions rose at the crossing two days after Palestinians blasted through concrete and metal walls at Rafah, triggering the exodus.
Egyptian guards aimed a water cannon above the crowd to force them away from the border, The Associated Press reported.
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60 injured in clash at Egypt-Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza have faced difficulty obtaining supplies since Israel sealed its border with Gaza to quell rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. More than 50 Egyptian military vehicles were seen rumbling toward the Rafah crossing from the northern Egyptian Sinai town of Al Arish, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have gathered and visited.
Town government officials were using megaphones to tell the people to head back home.
Despite the movement of Egyptian security forces toward the border with Gaza on Friday, the numbers of Palestinians at the border crossing on Friday equaled or surpassed the number there on Wednesday and Thursday. AP reported that cranes were being used to lift supplies over the border wall into Gaza.
Palestinian visitors into Egypt included women wearing fresh makeup and dressed in finely embroidered clothing who were en route to weddings which they said were quickly moved up so Gazans could attend, according to AP.
One Gazan visitor, Yousef Mohammed, 17, told AP he had delayed his trip across the border until Friday so he could gather money to shop in Egypt. "They don't want us to go in," Mohammed said, pointing at Egyptian guards.
The United States and Israel have pressured Egypt to close the open border areas, worried that terrorists with weapons could travel undetected from Egypt into the Palestinian territory.
Preparation for the action began weeks ago, when Palestinian militants -- camouflaged and working at night -- used acetylene torches and high explosives to destroy parts of the Israeli-built walls so that they would easily come down, according to a militant who lives in Rafah.
Israel has accused Gaza's Hamas leadership of planning the destruction of the border wall "a long time ago" to play on international sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Aryeh Mekel said.
Hamas leaders have denied participating in bringing down the wall, but voiced support for the action.
Speaking hours after Wednesday's breach, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassam Zaki told CNN that the border would be open "as long as this is a humanitarian crisis."
"We are not opening the Rafah crossing just for everybody to cross -- we're opening it because it's a very dire humanitarian situation," he said.
Also on Friday, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed four militants, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.
The attacks killed Hamas militants who were preparing a terrorist attack in Israel, Israel Defense Forces said.
One of the militants had coordinated rocket fire from Gaza to Israel according to the Israeli military.
The first strike hit a Jeep in southern Gaza, killing two people who belonged to the militant wing of Hamas, Palestinian security sources said.
A second strike killed two more members, they said. Both strikes happened near Gaza's border with Egypt
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