Israelis warned against Sinai travel

The Israeli government has urged all tourists in the Sinai to leave immediately, saying it has intelligence that groups based in Gaza plan to kidnap Israeli visitors. The prime minister's office issued the warning Thursday, Haaretz reported. "The Counter-Terrorism Bureau once again urges all Israelis in Sinai to leave the region immediately and return to Israel," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. "The Counterterrorism Bureau asks the families of Israelis in Sinai to make contact with them and inform them of this warning. In addition, the bureau strongly recommends that all those planning to go to Sinai refrain from doing so." The Sinai, Egypt's eastern Peninsula, is a popular destination for Israelis seeking inexpensive beach vacations. The Israeli government has been warning about the risks of going there for some years, but the Egyptian uprising appears to have increased problems.