Amman - The Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan's largest political party, on Tuesday rebuked Egypt for denying entry to the Gaza Strip for a Jordanian delegation of parliamentarians and politicians.

"Preventing Jordanian parliamentarians from entering the Gaza Strip represents an offence to the Jordanian government, parliament and people," IAF Secretary General Zaki Bani Ershaid said in a statement.

"By doing so, the Egyptian regime puts itself in direct confrontation with not only the besieged Palestinian people but also with all peoples aspiring for lifting the Gaza blockade," he added.

Jordanian media said that a delegation of 17 Jordanian lawmakers and politicians was stranded at the Rafah crossing since Sunday and prevented from entering the battered Palestinian territory to express solidarity with Gazans.

Bani Ershaid urged the Jordanian government to step in with a "serious effort" to convince the Egyptian authorities to allow the Jordanian activists to enter the Gaza Strip, which was the scene for a 22-day Israeli attack at the end of December and in January. (dpa)