Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations    

    GAZA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian officials started to put pressure on Israel to open Rafah crossing into Gaza, the only travelers' gate into the enclave, a Palestinian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

    "This problem needs to be resolved before the situation worsens due to continuation of the closure of this vital crossing for Gaza residents," Jerusalem-based al-Manar newspaper quoted Egyptian sources as saying.

    Israel closed the crossing in June 2006 in response to the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Hamas. A mechanism reached between Israel, the Palestinian National Authority and European Union monitors allows the crossing to reopen from time to time.

    But since the Hamas takeover of Gaza Strip in June 2007, the terminal was completely closed except for a few openings to allow small numbers of stranded people and patients to cross, which, along with a tightened blockade on the enclave, has resulted in a humanitarian crisis there.

    As part of the Egyptian efforts to settle the problem, "the involved parties consider to open the terminal as soon as discussions on the release of the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit start," the report said.

    A Hamas delegation headed for Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the issue and the Egyptian officials will present their suggestions on a suitable mechanism that would secure the functioning of the crossing without causing the opposition of Israel, it added.

    The report also said the Egyptian proposal will also call for Abbas' presidential guard to take part in controlling the security at the crossing under a U.S.-brokered protocol reached in 2005.