An Egyptian security source on Friday accused Israeli travel agencies of being behind Israeli authorities’ warnings to Israeli tourists in Sinai, who have been urged to leave.
“It has become common in Israel for travel agencies to spread these rumors in order to keep Israeli tourists inside Israel instead of going to Sinai, which causes losses for these agencies,” the source told DPA.
“These travel agencies are the main source behind warnings issued by the counter-terrorism department in Israel, which issues similar warnings at the same time every year because Israeli and Russian tourism spikes in the Sinai at this time,” the source added.
The source asserted that there are no terrorist organizations in Sinai and that the security situation is under control, adding that it is not dangerous for Israeli tourists, who have continued to visit Sinai because they know who is behind these “rumors and lies.”
He called on Israeli travel agencies to desist from circulating such allegations.
The counter-terrorism department in Israel had called Thursday for all Israeli tourists who were in Sinai to leave the peninsula immediately due to terrorist threats, saying in a statement, “The threat is palpable and very large.”
Sinai is a favorite place for Israelis to spend holidays. The counter-terrorism department in Israel issues warnings about possible attacks on the region on a near regular basis.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
