A number of Palestinian security prisoners jailed in Egypt have reportedly escaped back to the Gaza Strip via illicit smuggling tunnel.
Officials in Gaza said three Palestinians, at least one of them from Hamas, had fled during the upheaval and returned to the coastal territory.
Egypt meanwhile kept its border with the Hamas-ruled territory closed on Sunday amid the raging turmoil.
Palestinian border official Ghazi Hamad said that the closure was expected to last several days.
The border terminal at Rafah had been rescheduled to open Sunday after a routine, two-day weekend closure. About 400 to 600 Palestinians cross through the terminal daily for medical treatment, study and family visits.
Hamas officials say group leaders have postponed a trip through Egypt to Syria, where they were to discuss a new proposal to free abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.
Thousands of inmates escaped prisons across Egypt on Sunday, including at least one jail that housed Muslim militants northwest of Cairo, security officials said.
The breakouts added to the chaos engulfing the country as anti-government protests continue to demand the ouster of longtime authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak.
The security officials said the prisoners escaped overnight from four jails after starting fires and clashing with guards. The inmates were helped by gangs of armed men who attacked the prisons, firing at guards in gun battles that lasted hours.
The officials said several inmates were killed and wounded during the escapes, but gave no specific figures. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information with the media.
