International forces meet Egypt military officials at Gaza Rafah crossing: source

International forces operating in the Sinai peninsula visited the Rafah crossing between Palestine's Gaza Strip and Egypt on Wednesday morning, according to a border official.

Armoured vehicles brought the delegation to the site, where they were met by Egyptian army and intelligence figures, the source told The New Arab's Arabic sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

It comes after Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was asked to take tougher precautions at the crossing by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett when they met at Sharm El-Sheikh earlier this month.

The tighter regime was called for to stop smuggling to Gaza, which Israel claims could help Hamas, the militant group governing the Palestinian enclave.

Gaza has suffered a crippling Israeli siege leading to shortages of essential goods, including medicine and building materials.

Having made the journey from the international forces' base in North Sinai, the Egyptian officers talked with them in-depth at the Rafah security headquarters, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's source.

The insider said those present went over the site's function as a land and commercial crossing.

The international force appears to be from the Multinational Force and Observers, which includes US troops.

The organisation has been charged since its 1981 creation with upholding the Cairo-Tel Aviv peace agreement.