Israel tells nationals in Sinai to return home immediately

As the Jewish holiday season is upon us, the Israeli government is warning its citizens against travel to the Sinai Peninsula in light of the unrest gripping Egypt. According to Israel Radio, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday called on all Israeli nationals in the peninsula to return home immediately, citing “clear and present” threats to their safety. The bureau also recommended that Israelis avoid trips to Turkey and Tunisia unless absolutely necessary. Earlier Monday suspected militants ambushed two police minibuses in northern Sinai on Monday, firing rocket-propelled grenades and killing 24 policemen, Egyptian security officials said. The attack took place as the two vehicles were driving through a village near the border town of Rafah in the volatile Sinai Peninsula, the officials said. They added that the attack also left three policemen wounded. The attack was the deadliest in the Sinai in years, exceeding the toll from an August 2012 attack on Egyptian soldiers that killed 16. The security situation in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders both Gaza and Israel, has deteriorated since 2011, when president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.