CAIRO, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The Israeli army has notified the Egyptian authorities that the Rafah crossing on the borderline between Egypt and Gaza was closed Monday for security reasons, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

    As many as 100 Palestinians, who sought to cross to the Palestinian territories, were now stranded at the crossing.

    For more than six months, Israel has been barring Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling abroad through the crossing, the only entrance and exit for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

    However, the Israeli authorities allowed 57 Palestinians aged below 35 to pass through the Rafah crossing on Oct. 19, Palestinian official sources said.

    The Israeli army often shut down the crossing, with the latest closure on Oct. 21. Enditem