Five Jewish Israelis crossed the border into Sinai by mistake Sunday and were arrested by Egyptian soldiers. They have since been returned to Israel and are being questioned by Israeli police.
 
The five are reportedly hareidi-religious Jews. Their names have not been made public.
 
Thy crossed the border about 20 kilometers north of Eilat near the Gishron riverbed.
 
The Egyptian soldiers reportedly took the five hikers to interrogation and took away their cellphones. When they received word of the incident, IDF authorities contacted authorities in Egypt in an attempt to secure the release of the hikers.
 
The Israeli Counter-Terror Bureau recently issued tough warnings against travel to Sinai because of terrorist efforts to kill and abduct Israelis. 
 
When discussing the danger two weeks ago, officials said the terrorists aim to kidnap an Israeli citizen who could be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations between Hamas and Jerusalem.