AMMAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Jordanians held a sit-in near the Egyptian embassy in the Jordanian capital on Sunday to protest against Egypt's plan to construct a steel wall along its borders with the besieged Gaza Strip.

    The protestors called on the Arab governments to stand up to their responsibilities in ending the siege on the Gaza Strip and helping the Palestinians in the coastal enclave.

    "We condemn Egypt's plan to build a steel wall along the borders with the Gaza Strip. This is unacceptable," Abdullah Obeidat, head of Jordan's 14 professional associations which organized the sit-in, said at the gathering.

    Egypt has recently announced plans to build a steel wall of about 10 to 11 km long with over 15-meter depth along its borders with Gaza to stop smuggling through tunnels between Gaza and the Egyptian territories.

    Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said the wall seeks to defend Egypt "against threats to national security," according to Egypt's official Middle East News Agency.

    The protestors also criticized Egypt for not allowing the Viva Palestina convoy from entering the Egyptian territories through the Nuweiba port on the Red Sea en route to Gaza late last month.

    The Egyptian authorities demanded that the convoy head to El Arish port on the Mediterranean Sea to enter Gaza.

    After being stranded in Jordan for four days due to Egypt's decision, the convoy, which consisted of over 150 trucks of humanitarian assistance and was accompanied by over 450 activists, headed to Syria late last month to the El Arish port.