Families of Three Israeli Arabs Detained in Egypt Seek Answers

Six months after their sudden arrest in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, the families of three Bedouin Israeli citizens remain unaware of the reasons for their detention, their whereabouts, or their fate. The three men, Bilal Masoudin (27), Bilal Salem Abu Aish (28), and Ahmed Al-Dughi (25), all from the Azazma tribe and residents of Segev Shalom in the Negev, were taken from a taxi near the Taba border crossing on March 21 while returning to Israel after a vacation in Egypt. According to their families, they were ordered out of the taxi and transferred to vehicles belonging to Egyptian intelligence, after which all contact was lost.

The families had initially maintained media silence, hoping that communication with Egyptian authorities would lead to the men's release, but these efforts have yielded no clear information. The three men had traveled to Sharm El Sheikh for a holiday, and one of them managed to contact relatives before communication ceased, stating, "They are detaining us." He also told a friend, "They are delaying us, but I will return tomorrow. If I do not return, know that we are now in the hands of the Egyptians."

Fadi Masoudin, Bilal's brother, expressed his distress to Israeli media, stating, "We have no idea where they are or what happened to them. I hope they are alive." The families were reportedly informed that the detentions were not related to criminal activity but to "issues related to Egyptian national security."

"If they violated Egyptian law, they should be prosecuted and we should be granted the right to visit them. It is difficult for me to understand why they are preventing me from communicating with my brother," Fadi added.