Infiltrators into Israel through Egypt's Sinai declined sharply in July compared with the previous two months, Israel's Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA) officials said on Monday.

Six African migrants entered the country last weekend, setting the number of infiltrators since the beginning of the month at 248, according to figures presented to ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting.

In comparison, 2,000 infiltrators were recorded in May and about 1,000 in June, PIBA said.

Officials noted that all of the infiltrators caught in recent weeks were immediately transferred to holding facilities in accordance to a government directive issued in June that enabled authorities to detain illegal migrants for up to three years without a trial.

The infiltrators tried to cross through the unfinished segments of the security fence, which is still being constructed along the 240-km-long border, according to a statement sent to Xinhua.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the figures, saying that the implementation of the government's plan to stem the flow of illegal migrants "has led to a turnaround."

"For the first time, we are seeing a significant decline in the number of infiltrators," Netanyahu said.