Luggage in tow, Gazans stranded in Egypt since a Sunday border attack are finally heading home.

Egypt closed the only official border crossing into the strip after a militant attack that left 16 of its border guards dead.

On Friday, residents of the Palestinian enclave stuck in Sinai were allowed to cross back.

But the traffic was one way. No-one was allowed to travel from Gaza to Egypt.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WOMAN, REEM ABU YOUSEF, SAYING:

"We hope that at some point the government will reopen the borders completely, because there are children and families that need to return and because we cannot all be punished for the crimes of a small group of terrorists."

Gaza's ruling party, Hamas, has criticized Cairo for blocking the flow of goods and people.

Egypt has amped up its military presence in Sinai this week and also targeted smuggling tunnels used to bypass the Israeli blockade of the strip.