Amir Hassan, the Israeli Arab who was kidnapped last week in Sinai along with his Norwegian companion, was released by his Bedouin captors early Monday. The two captives were released to Egyptian police in Sinai. A report on Israel Radio said that they were making their way back to Israel Monday night.
The report said that Yehuda Golan, the Israeli consul in Cairo, had made the arrangements to return Hassan to Israel by plane from Cairo late Monday. Hassan will fly to Amman, and from there will be taken by car to Israel.
The Foreign Ministry praised Egypt's efforts to aid in Hassan's release.
A spokesperson for the kidnappers had said that they kidnapped the two in an attempt to help relatives of theirs who have been imprisoned in Egypt for years and have not been brought to trial. Egyptian authorities promised to examine efforts to bring the relatives to trial, paving the way for the release of Hassan and his companion.