Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, slammed on Monday the Israeli closure of Kerem Shalom key commercial crossing between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a press statement that the closure of the only commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip "is an Israeli escalation of closure and a new Israeli attempt to suffocate the coastal enclave."

"The answer to tightening the Israeli closure can only be done through increasing the international pressure on Israel in order to oblige it to implement the international laws and reopen Gaza crossing points," said Abu Zuhri.

He urged Egypt to ease the restrictions imposed by the former regime of Hosni Mubarak "in order to ease the tight Israeli closure imposed on the populations of the Gaza Strip."

Israel on Monday announced that it decided to close down Kerem Shalom crossing until a further notice after three projectiles hit the crossing, according to Israeli Radio.

It said that the crossing point will be reopened right after calm dominates the area surrounding the crossing. The Israeli decision was made hours after the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi won as Egypt's new president.