The Israeli security establishment claims that a Hamas cell is trying to abduct an Israeli tourist from one of the coastal resorts in the Sinai peninsula. The head of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister's Office, Nitzan Nuriel, was quoted as saying there was intelligence information about immediate plans to abduct an Israeli and to transfer him to the Gaza Strip.
Due to the high alert, Israel released a statement calling on all Israeli tourists in Sinai to return home at once. "We call on all Israelis in Sinai to return to Israel immediately," the statement said. "Families of Israelis in Sinai are requested to contact them and inform them of this travel warning."
Egyptian security forces also launched an intensive effort to undermine the kidnapping, and sharply increased their contingents in popular Sinai resorts.
