Egypt ? Egypt worked diplomatically and on the ground to restore its breached border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, tightening checkpoints and choking off supplies to curb buying by Palestinians coming across the frontier for the fifth day.

The Egyptians have invited Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the rival Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for separate talks in Cairo on resolving the Gaza border crisis.

The breach of the border by Hamas militants last week has undermined an Israeli blockade of Gaza and given the Islamic group leverage in discussions of future arrangements at the Egypt-Gaza frontier.

Abbas discussed the border situation with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday and is to meet Wednesday in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. A Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo the same day.