On 28 February, four Palestinians who were abducted in 2015 at the Rafah crossing, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, were released. In August 2015, a group of armed men attacked a bus of Palestinian travelers and abducted four Palestinian civilians who were on their way to Cairo airport. Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said that he had carried out diplomatic efforts to secure the men’s release during his recent visits to Egypt. He stated that “The release of these four youths reflects the strength of the relationship between Hamas and the Egyptian brothers”. He also thanked Egypt for the “generous” step and insisted on the “importance of strengthening and developing the relationship with Egypt to boost their mutual interests”, reported Middle East Monitor.