4 Dec 2006 14:09:35 GMT
GAZA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Islamist group Hamas, was prevented from returning to Gaza on Thursday after a two-week trip abroad, a spokeswoman for European monitors at the border said.
"It is closed. The operation has stopped for a while until the situation with Haniyeh is clarified," said the spokeswoman for the European Border Assistance Mission, which monitors the Rafah crossing on the frontier with Egypt.
Israeli security sources said Defence Minister Amir Peretz had instructed the crossing to be closed.
"He is suspected of planning to bring in millions of dollars donated by Iran," one of the security sources said.
Haniyeh has spent the past two weeks in countries in the region, including Qatar, Iran and Sudan, trying to raise money for his government. He has received assurances of up to $350 million in funding for next year.
Blocking Haniyeh's return could incite further anger among Hamas supporters in Gaza, amid a general decline in security and an increase in tensions with the rival Fatah movement.
Israel, the United States and the European Union regard Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, as a terrorist group and have imposed sanctions against it in an attempt to force the collapse of its government.
The spokeswoman said she had no further information about what would happen with Haniyeh as he was now stuck on the Eygptian side of the border.
Haniyeh was expected to appear at a mass rally in Gaza on Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of Hamas's founding by his mentor Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Hundreds of Hamas supporters had gathered at the Rafah crossing to await Haniyeh's return, waving green Hamas flags.
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