Cairo  - Calm returned to the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Saturday after Egypt deployed large numbers of security forces as a precaution after comments by leaders of the militant Hamas movement that were seen to imply violence.

Some Hamas leaders had hinted at "untraditional solutions" to lift the Israeli blockade from the enclave, while Palestinians staged a demonstration at Rafah, demanding that the Rafah border crossing be opened.

A total of 1,000 police officers and 500 security forces were deployed across the border on Friday, while the main routes to Rafah city were placed under intense security control, security sources were quoted as saying in the daily al-Mas al-Youm newspaper on Saturday.

Egypt's state-owned al-Ahram newspaper said the move came after media statements by some Hamas officials implying possible attack on the border that was breached in January.

Mohamed Shosha, governor of north Sinai, stressed in the report that the eastern borders of Egypt were "totally secure and under full control."

Cairo closed the last breach in its border with the Gaza Strip on February 3, ending free movement for Palestinians through a hole blown in the border wall by Palestinian gunmen.

For 12 days in January, at least 350,000 Palestinians flooded Egypt's border towns to stock up on supplies made scarce by an Israeli blockade of the territory that was imposed in response to rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli border towns. (dpa)