Egyptian officials announced Thursday that they had allowed over 300 Gaza Arabs to return to Gaza. Hundreds of residents of Gaza were arrested over the past two weeks when they remained in the Sinai Peninsula after Egyptian forces resealed the border with Gaza. Many of the detainees had complained that they were kept in inhuman conditions in Egypt, and several had threatened to commit suicide if they were not allowed into Gaza.
Egyptian officials met with Hamas representatives on Tuesday to discuss the situation. Hamas is trying to convince Egypt to reopen the Gaza border, with Hamas providing security on the Gaza side of the crossings.