Abbas Says Stands By Egypt

The Palestinian leadership supports all measures that will be taken by Egypt with the aim of protecting its national security and confronting terrorism in the Sinai Peninsula as well as all other Egyptian territories, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said.



He added that protecting Egypt's national security was important for the Palestinian cause as well as Arab national security in general, according to the official Palestinian news agency.



"We stand by Egypt's leadership, government and people," the Palestinian Authority President was "ed by the news agency as saying.



He expressed confidence that Egypt would overcome its current hardships and move ahead on the road of stability and construction.



Egyptian authorities on Saturday closed down the Rafah crossing on the border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, only hours after a terrorist attack left 26 Egyptian troops dead and dozens of others injured in Sinai on Saturday.



Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that his country would take measures on the border with the Gaza Strip so that it could "totally eradicate" terrorism.



He added that there would be "many" measures, even without disclosing the nature of these measures.  



By Qais Abu Samra



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ramallah