Egypt on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Israel over the deaths of five of its policemen reportedly killed by Israeli helicopters.
The policemen appear to have been shot by Israeli forces as they were chasing suspected Palestinian militants across the border.
The Egyptian Cabinet said it was recalling its ambassador, the first such move in a decade, until Israel carried out an investigation, and demanded an apology.
"The Egyptian ambassador to Israel will be withdrawn until we are notified about the results of an investigation by the Israeli authorities," the cabinet said in a statement.
"In response to what happened, Egypt will use all protective measures to strengthen its side of the border region with Israel and support the necessary forces able to deter the infiltration of claims for any illegal activity or elements outside of the law, as well as respond to any Israeli military activity toward the Egyptian border, " the statement read.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Cairo overnight to protest the killings, burning the Israeli flag and demanding that Egypt's ties with Israel be severed.
The protests come after the Israeli military launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip in response to a series of attacks in southern Israel on Thursday in which 8 people died. Israel believes the attackers came from Gaza and entered Israel through Egypt's Sinai Desert.
Gaza's Hamas government has denied any involvement.
Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the Israeli air stikes, in which at least 15 Palestinians were killed.
The Arab League said it will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the strikes on Sunday.
Several people were wounded on Friday after rockets fired from Gaza hit a synagogue and a school in the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
