Public Relations officer at the Palestinian Consulate in Cairo Yasser Salman confirmed that 68 Palestinian were deported to Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Monday.

They were caught in Alexandria by Egyptian security forces as they were attempting to illegally migrate to Italy, he added.

Salman stated that the migrants crossed the Egyptian territory illegally through the smuggling tunnels, and that Egyptian authorities have followed legal procedures regarding their deportation to Gaza Strip.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued a report in October stating that the numbers of Palestinians migrating to Italy has surged over the past two months.

Hundreds of Palestinians have tried to flee Gaza Strip since July 2014 when fighting erupted between Israel and Palestinian factions, leading to a 50-day conflict that left widespread devastation in the Gaza Strip.

During the conflict, Egyptian authorities have kept Rafah crossing closed for “security concerns” and exceptionally opened it for one day to receive wounded Palestinians.

An Egypt-brokered ceasefire was agreed in late August to halt the fighting.

Egypt hosted world leaders at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference held in Cairo on Sunday. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s support for Palestine, stating that the conference is part of the Egyptian efforts to save lives and achieve regional peace.