Cairo - Hamas was preventing casualties from entering Egypt for treatment, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Sunday, a day after Gaza was pounded in Israeli airstrikes that killed have some 270 people.

Egypt had opened its Rafah border and was awaiting for Hamas' to let the casualties into Egypt, Abul Gheit said. Hundreds of Gazans have been wounded in Israel airstrikes and clashes since Saturday.

Abul Gheit's statements came during a press conference with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

There was no independent confirmation that Hamas has blocked the border crossing as no immediate comment from the Islamic movement was available.

Abbas said that he had contacted Hamas directly and urged its leaders to maintain the ceasefire with Israel to prevent a crisis.

"We contacted Hamas officials directly, we called them on the phone and urged them not to end the ceasefire with Israel," Abbas said.

"We could have prevented what happened," said Abbas referring to the Israeli air attacks on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. (dpa)