Egyptian police on Sunday seized 750 kilograms of explosives they believe were destined to be smuggled to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, a security official said.

Police officers found 500 kilograms of TNT packed into 12 plastic bags in the Ahrash region of the Sinai peninsula near Gazap, the official said.

Another 250 kilograms as well as some automatic weapons were found in the Sukkariya area, also in north Sinai, he told AFP.

Palestinians use a network of tunnels linking Egypt with Gaza to smuggle food and other essential goods, as well as weapons, to evade an Israeli blockade since the Islamist Hamas took over the enclave in June 2007.

Egypt and Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hamas over the New Year, have taken robust steps to destroy the tunnels, with Israel repeatedly bombing them during and after the war.