Taba border crossing to remain closed

CAIRO – 20 April 2017: Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau announced Wednesday that the Taba Border Crossing from Israel to Sinai will remain closed.

The decision came after an attack that targeted a security checkpoint near Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt in South Sinai, killing one policeman and injuring four others.

According to the bureau, the closure of the border-crossing will be examined over the next few days depending on security developments.

The border was initially closed a day after militants in Egypt bombed two Coptic Christian churches, killing dozens of worshippers on Palm Sunday, April 9. It was scheduled to open at the end of the holidays.

Israel's anti-terrorism office has also called on all Israeli tourists in Sinai to return to Israel immediately, and it asked citizens planning trips to the Sinai to cancel them.

Sinai has traditionally been a popular vacation destination for Israelis — especially during the Jewish Passover holiday.