Six Months On, Families Seek Answers for Israelis Detained in Sinai
Six months after three Israeli Bedouin citizens were detained by Egyptian intelligence in Sinai, their families remain without answers. Israeli and Egyptian authorities have provided scarce details regarding their whereabouts and legal status.
Six months after their sudden disappearance in the Sinai Peninsula, the fate of three Israeli Bedouin citizens remains completely unknown. The men were intercepted on March 21 while traveling in a taxi toward the Taba border crossing to return to Israel, after vacationing in Sharm el-Sheikh. Egyptian intelligence vehicles intercepted the taxi, and the three men were taken away by operatives. Their families in the Negev community of Segev Shalom kept the incident quiet for months in hopes of a swift resolution, but have now broken their silence as the mystery deepens.
The detainees are Bilal Masoudin, 27, a father of two; Bilal Salem Abu Aish, 28, a father of five; and 25-year-old Ahmad Aldugi, all belonging to the Al-Azazma Bedouin tribe. Before losing contact, one of the men managed to call relatives in Israel, warning that they were being detained by Egyptian authorities. Subsequent inquiries by families and legal counsel revealed that the arrests were allegedly linked to Egypt's national security, though no formal charges have been brought forward.
Bureaucratic Silence and Legal Hurdles
Israeli government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the President's Residence, have been unable to provide concrete details. Families reported that initial responses were laconic, stating only that officials would update them once information became available. Two Egyptian lawyers hired by the families resigned after their efforts to secure information or access to the detainees hit a dead end.
Former Knesset member and attorney Taleb el-Sana, along with Be'er Sheva attorney Yitzhak Meltzer, took up the case, pressing Israeli authorities and reaching out directly to the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv. During an in-person meeting with the Egyptian consul, el-Sana was informed only that the three men were indeed in custody, without further explanation regarding their health, location, or legal status.
"We have no idea if they are alive or dead," said Padi Masoudin, brother of Bilal. "If they broke the law, let them be judged and let us visit them. I struggle to understand why we are denied contact with my brother."
Official Responses and Diplomatic Stalled Efforts
Merav Marks, head of the Department for Diplomatic and Civil Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to legal inquiries by confirming that the ministry has been engaging with relevant Egyptian counterparts since March. According to the Foreign Ministry, diplomatic representatives secured confirmation that the three Israelis are detained, but repeated requests for further details and prison conditions have yielded no results.
Israel's ambassador to residents in Egypt, Uri Rothman, declined to comment on the affair, referring inquiries to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein did not issue a statement. The families continue to appeal for urgent government intervention to clarify the circumstances of the detention and ensure the safe return of the three men.
