Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed due to security: U.S. State Dept

Palestinians and foreign aid workers wait to cross into Egypt at Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A total of 59 people connected to Canada finally made it out of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Ottawa confirmed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Fatima Shbair

WASHINGTON — The Rafah border crossing into Gaza was closed on Wednesday due to an unspecified "security circumstance," U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

The United States expects the Egypt-controlled crossing will be reopened at "regular intervals" so that aid can enter the Gaza Strip and foreign nationals can continue to depart, Patel said during a regular press briefing.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Simon Lewis)