Report: Egypt arrests dozens of armed Palestinians in Sinai

Egypt officials have arrested dozens of Palestinians armed with guns and rifles who crossed the breached Gaza border into Sinai the past few days, sources told Israel on Sunday.

The report does not clarify if those arrested were planning terrorist attacks or were armed for other reasons.

Meanwhile, specially deployed Egyptian police officers Sunday forced shopkeepers in the northern Sinai city of El-Arish to close their stores to prevent Palestinians from Gaza from shopping in the city, according to local reports.

The Associated Press also reported that a handful of Hamas-affiliated forces had crossed into Egypt to join Egyptian security in urging Palestinians to start heading home to Gaza.

The Egyptians also prevented trucks loaded with merchandise from crossing the Suez Canal toward Rafah and El-Arish, apparently hoping to cut supplies to the markets and reduce their attraction to Gazans.

The border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip remained breached Sunday, as Hamas gunmen directed vehicular traffic and thousands of people continued unhindered to cross to the Egyptian side and back after making their purchases.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday that his organization would not agree to a renewal of the siege on the Gaza Strip or to allow Israel to veto the passage of Palestinians through the Rafah crossing. Haniyeh hinted that Hamas was demanding a new arrangement for the crossing's operation.

Israel renews fuel supply

Meanwhile, Israel is to renew the supply of fuel to Gaza beginning next week, to meet at least minimum humanitarian requirements, the State Prosecutor's Office told the High Court of Justice on Sunday.

The state was responding to a petition by human rights groups against the decision to cut fuel and electricity supplies to the Strip.

The state also told the High Court it would formulate a new plan to limit direct electricity supply to the Strip after Attorney General Menachem Mazuz had vetoed a previous plan. The new plan would be implemented gradually to a level of a five percent reduction on each electricity line.

	A Palestinian family walks in pouring rain at the border crossing with Egypt in Rafah on Sunday. (AP)