Israeli Couple Reports Humiliating Strip Search by Egyptian Border Guards

An Israeli couple in their 30s reported a deeply humiliating experience with Egyptian border guards at the Taba border crossing near Eilat on Saturday, September 19. The couple, identified only as A. and Sh., were attempting to enter the Sinai Peninsula when they were subjected to invasive security checks.

According to Sh., who spoke to Ynet on Tuesday, September 22, after returning from Egypt, she and her husband were the only tourists at the crossing that night. After their bags were scanned and her husband passed through a metal detector, she was subjected to a pat-down by a female border guard. Sh. stated the guard "ran her hand over my intimate areas, touching my breasts and buttocks." This occurred before the contents of their bags had even been examined.

Following the initial search, the couple's bags were thoroughly searched, with Egyptian guards reportedly turning everything out after finding rolling papers for cigarettes. Sh. recounted that her husband was then taken behind a curtain, where a male guard allegedly "felt around his groin for a long time." Subsequently, Sh. was also taken behind the same curtain, not into a private room, but an "alcove separated by a curtain." There, she claims, she was ordered to remove her shirt, then her skirt, and finally her underwear by a female guard who communicated through gestures.

Sh. described the experience as "pure sexual harassment" and stated the guard appeared to be deriving pleasure from the inspection. She expressed feeling deeply ashamed for not protesting, explaining that her primary desire was to leave the crossing as quickly as possible. The full impact of the ordeal only hit her after they had left the border post and were on their way to a gas station.

The couple, who had visited Sinai before without incident, stated this experience was unprecedented. While they hope to return to Sinai, Sh. expressed a desire to understand what is considered legal at the border crossing to prevent similar occurrences in the future.