Fate of 3 Israelis held in Egypt remains unknown 6 months after they were arrested

Six months after their arrest in Egypt, the fate of three Israeli men from a Negev Bedouin community remains unknown, with no official response from Cairo. The Foreign Ministry confirmed it has not received a satisfactory reply. Families believe the detention is related to Egyptian national security, not criminal offenses. The men were arrested in March at a hotel in Sharm el Sheikh and have had no contact since.

Six months after their arrest in Egypt, the fate of three Israeli men from a Bedouin community in the Negev remains unknown, with no official information from Cairo. The men — Bilal Masoudin, Bilal al-Afshaq, and Ahmed al-Doji — were arrested in March while staying at a hotel in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed it has approached Egyptian authorities but has not received a satisfactory official response. Families believe the detention is related to Egyptian national security, not criminal offenses. One of the men managed to alert his family and a friend at the time of arrest, expecting to return the next day — that was the last contact. Two Egyptian lawyers hired by the families dropped the case after failing to obtain any information. Attorney Itzhak Meltzer, representing one of the Israelis, said an Egyptian lawyer who asked to meet the three was told by police they were not being held by cops. The Foreign Ministry said it is continuing to work with Egyptian authorities and is in contact with the families.