Deputy head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haniya has strongly denounced the Egyptian army for killing a 17-year-old fisherman in Gaza on Thursday.

This came during his visit on Saturday evening to Rafah to offer his condolences to the family of the slain boy Firas Miqdad.

Haniya condemned the killing of the boy as a disregard for the Palestinian blood and held the Egyptian authorities fully responsible for his death. He also described the incident as a violation of all values and historical ties binding the Palestinian and Egyptian peoples.

"Such behavior is not acceptable against the Palestinian people. We are today involved in an intifada against the Israeli enemy and need the Arabs to support us and protect our backs," Haniya underlined.

He also called on the Egyptian authorities to stop flooding the Palestinian border with seawater and open the Rafah crossing permanently before passengers and goods.