CAIRO - President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday that Egypt will keep its border crossings with Gaza closed until his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas regains authority over the territory and a 2005 deal governing their operation is respected.

'We in Egypt are not going to contribute to perpetuating the rift (between Abbas and Gaza's Hamas rulers) by opening the Rafah crossing in the absence of the Palestinian Authority and EU observers in violation of the 2005 deal' between Abbas and Israel, Mr Mubarak said in a televised speech.

The 2005 accord, which coincided with Israel's withdrawal of troops and settlers from Gaza, provided for EU observers to monitor the border and operate surveillance cameras to allow Israel to keep an eye on comings and goings.

The deal fell into abeyance when Hamas seized control of Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in June last year.

Egypt has come in for strong criticism from the Islamists and their sympathisers around the Muslim world for not fully opening its border with Gaza to the passage of both people and goods.

It has allowed some Gazans wounded in Israel's devastating four-day-old offensive against the territory to leave for treatment and allowed some medical supplies in.

But Egyptian police also fired warning shots in the air to prevent large numbers of civilians fleeing Gaza.

Mr Mubarak held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni just two days before the start of the offensive, sparking charges of collusion that have seen Egyptian diplomatic missions attacked in both Beirut and the Yemeni port city of Aden.

But Mr Mubarak insisted that he was totally opposed to the Israeli operation.

'We say to Israel that we reject and condemn its assaults which must cease immediately,' he said in the speech broadcast on state television. -- AFP