US citizens urged to ‘take precautions’ in Sinai travel
Published August 5, 2012
JEURSALEM (JTA) — The United States Embassy in Israel has called on American citizens to “take precautions” in traveling to the Sinai.
The warning issued Friday came a day after Israel’s National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau called on “all Israelis in Sinai to leave the area immediately and return home.”
The embassy’s security message pointed out that there have been multiple kidnappings in the Sinai of U.S. citizens over the past four years and that kidnappings of foreign tourists in the Sinai have increased since January 2012. In May 2012, two U.S. citizens were kidnapped and released a day later; in July 2012, two U.S. citizens were kidnapped and released a few days later.
“While thus far all known foreign kidnap victims in 2012 have been released unharmed, the danger of overland travel in the Sinai is significant. Overland travel from Israel to the Sinai in particular is strongly discouraged,” according to the warning.
U.S. government personnel are currently prohibited from traveling to the Sinai, except by air to Sharm El Sheikh.
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