Egyptian security forces announced by loudspeaker in towns near the border with the Gaza Strip that the frontier would be closed from 1300 GMT, according to witnesses.
They are now stopping Palestinians from entering Egypt and only allowing people returning to Gaza to pass through.
A security source said the deadline was intended to give the hundreds of thousands of Gazans who have crossed over since militants blew a hole in the border fence in the divided frontier town of Rafah on Tuesday night sufficient time to return home.
The loudspeaker announcements were made both on the Egyptian side of Rafah and in the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish further west.
Israel has been demanding Egyptian action, claiming weapons are likely to be smuggled into Gaza amid the chaos.
Source: By Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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