Three Israelis Detained in Egypt for Six Months Without Contact

Three Israeli Bedouin citizens from the Negev region have been held in Egypt for approximately six months, with their families unable to ascertain their whereabouts or establish contact since their arrest. According to messages relayed to the families, the three were not arrested on suspicion of criminal offenses but rather in connection with Egypt's "national security" interests, as reported by Kan News on Monday. The detainees, identified as Blial Masoudian Al Walidi, Bilal Al Afshak, and Ahmed Adouji, traveled to Egypt for a vacation in March. They were apprehended by Egyptian authorities at the Taba border crossing while attempting to return to Israel. Their families reported maintaining near-constant communication until the moment of arrest, after which all contact was severed. It was only after efforts by an Israeli lawyer representing them that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed their detention in Egypt. The families claim that for the past six months, they have been unable to speak with the detainees, their lawyers have been denied visitation, and they have not been informed of any court appearances. They also allege that no consular visit from an Israeli representative has occurred. "The lawyer has submitted requests to the Egyptian authorities to understand where they are being held, and there has been no response," stated a relative of one of the detainees. "He checked and they are not being held by the police, not in a known prison, not hospitalized, and not in any official location." The relative added, "No Egyptian ministry is stating they are in their custody. Concurrently, there has been no mention of the arrests in the Egyptian media, which intensifies questions about the circumstances of their detention." The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged awareness of the issue and stated they are handling it. No official comment has been issued by the Egyptian side.