Police used tear gas and gunshots were heard nearby. The ambassador has been taken to Cairo airport to be flown out of the country.

US President Barack Obama urged Egypt to protect the embassy after Israel asked Washington for help.

The mission has seen protests amid a downturn in Egypt-Israel relations.

Late on September 9 hundreds of protesters destroyed a wall around the embassy building before a group of about 30 broke in and threw documents out of windows.

After initially standing by, police moved against the protesters, firing tear gas. Several vehicles were set alight.

Live TV pictures in the early hours of September 10 showed protesters throwing petrol bombs at police vans which drove at a crowd of people to try to scatter them.

Egyptian state media said about 200 people had been injured in the unrest.