Egyptian Foreign Ministry: Monitoring Egyptian Who Crossed Border into Israel - Sarmad
Egyptian Foreign Ministry announces monitoring of a citizen who crossed the border into Israel near Netanya
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it is monitoring the case of an Egyptian citizen who crossed the border fence into Israel, according to media reports published on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The ministry stated in a press release that the citizen had been missing from his home since July of last year and suffers from psychological disorders, adding that it is following the necessary procedures to return him to Egypt.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that it had arrested an Egyptian civilian overnight after he crossed the border fence from Egyptian territory into Israel near the Netzarim area.
The Israeli military clarified: “After he was spotted, forces rushed to the location and detained him. He was transferred to continue the investigation with security forces.”
It added: “We are treating the incident with utmost seriousness and continue to keep our forces at a high level of defensive readiness in the area.”
The reasons behind the Egyptian citizen’s crossing in the latest incident remain undisclosed, as the Israeli military did not clarify his motives or whether he was carrying any belongings, limiting its statement to noting that he was transferred to continue the investigation with security agencies.
The border between Egypt and Israel stretches approximately 200 kilometers, from the Rafah area in the north on the Mediterranean Sea to Taba in the south at the Gulf of Aqaba, and is governed by security arrangements linked to the peace treaty signed between the two countries in 1979.
The Netzarim area, near which the Israeli military announced the arrest of the Egyptian citizen, runs along the Egyptian border and includes a border crossing primarily used for transporting goods between the two countries.
Egypt and Israel continue to coordinate security matters concerning their shared border, in accordance with the arrangements stipulated in the peace treaty and related agreements.
In recent years, the border has seen tightened security measures, including the construction of a border fence equipped with monitoring systems, aimed at curbing infiltration and smuggling operations across desert areas.
In June 2023, the border witnessed a security incident that resulted in the deaths of three Israeli soldiers and one Egyptian security officer.
Cairo stated at the time that the security officer was pursuing smugglers, while the Israeli military announced the opening of an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
