A senior Palestinian parliamentarian said that he and five colleagues from the Hamas movement had been barred by Egypt from crossing its border with Gaza on their way to visit other Arab countries.

Acting parliament speaker Ahmad Bahar said in a statement on Sunday that "the Egyptians have rejected a request" for the six lawmakers to travel through Egypt.

The statement did not give the lawmakers' destination or the purpose of their trip.

An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the men tried to cross the border without the necessary prior coordination and were therefore turned away.

The coastal strip's only other frontier is with Israel, where Hamas officials are subject to capture and imprisonment. Israel also prevents air and sea traffic from Gaza.