Israel's warning issued to its citizens requesting them to leave the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to negatively affect tourism in the area, Egyptian security sources said Wednesday. Egyptian security reportedly expressed their surprise following Israel's warning, describing it as an exaggeration aimed at deterring Israeli tourism in the Sinai and Egypt, according to the Israeli news site Central Issues. Around two-thirds of the 650 Israelis vacationing in the Sinai peninsula had by Wednesday returned home, following a warning issued by the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Bureau of an imminent kidnapping risk in the region. Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told the German Press Agency dpa that by 10 am (0700 GMT,) around 16 hours since the warning was issued, some 430 vacationers had crossed the border back into Israel. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau on Tuesday evening called on all who were vacationing in Sinai, "tor return to Israel immediately." The area is a popular vacation spot for Israelis. The warning also urged relatives to immediately contact all family members who were in the peninsula and relay the warning to them. An Egyptian police official contacted by dpa on Wednesday said their was no justification for the warning.
