JERUSALEM: Israel on Monday warned its citizens to leave Egypt s Sinai resort area immediately, saying there was a threat of kidnapping by militant groups. A message circulated to media and issued on the Web site of Israel s Prime Minister s Office counter-terrorism unit said the danger was imminent and called on its citizens to cross the border back into Israel without delay. The threat of a kidnap of an Israeli citizen on the beaches of Sinai has increased greatly and has become concrete in the past days. The counter-terrorism unit strongly advises all the Israelis in Sinai to leave the area immediately, it said. Last month three almost simultaneous bombs in Dahab on Sinai s east coast killed 19 people, including four foreigners, and injured scores. The explosions resembled other attacks attributed to a Sinai-based group which has bombed two other resorts on the east coast over the last two years, killing many foreigners including Israeli holidaymakers. A bombing at a southern Sinai resort killed more than 60 people last July and a similar attack in 2004 killed 34. Sinai s east coast is very popular with Israeli tourists. Israel occupied Sinai in the 1967 Middle East War then handed it back to Egypt under a 1979 peace treaty. Reuters
Israelis urged to leave Sinai after kidnap threat
