Egypt sent around 500 riot police to its border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, fearing that supporters of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will try to storm the frontier, security officials said.

The officials said Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, called for a rally on the Palestinian side of the border town of Rafah.

’Early this morning 500 policemen were sent to the area around Rafah crossing and along the border between Egypt and Gaza,’ one official.

He said more security forces were stationed in the area and would be called upon if necessary.

Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Egyptian forces in July when they tried to force their way into Sinai.

In January, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Egypt after Hamas militants breached the border wall in defiance of an Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip.-Reuters