CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- More than 2,000 Egyptian protesters gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Friday to dismantle a concrete wall which was set up by security forces around the premises, the Al-Ahram state-owned newspaper reported.

Protesters were using everything from hammers to crow bars to their bare hands to bring down the wall, while others celebrated. As whole sections of the barrier wall came crashing down, military police and state security forces attempted to protect the wall.

The local authority set up the wall last week in an attempt to secure the Israeli embassy after a series of protests were held in front of the building. Hundreds of Egyptians called on their government to expel Israel's ambassador and condemned a border incident, while one young man climbed 13 floors to bring down the Israeli flag in protest.

The border incident occurred on August 19 following a series of attacks that began when gunmen opened fire against a bus near the southern Israeli city of Eliat, which is located at the northern tip of the Red Sea and borders Egypt. Five Egyptian security personnel were killed when Israeli soldiers were pursuing Gaza militants after the attack.

After the wall came crashing down on Friday, hundreds of Egyptians stormed the building and threw embassy documents from its windows as Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, his family and staff fled the country. Security forces clashed with protesters, leaving more than 400 people injured.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the situation at the Israeli embassy in Cairo and expressed his great concern. "He reviewed the steps that the U.S. is taking at all levels to help resolve the situation without further violence, and to call on the Government of Egypt to honor its international obligations to safeguard the security of the Israeli Embassy," the White House said in a statement. "The President and the Prime Minister agreed to stay in close touch until the situation is resolved."