The Israeli Arab tourists from Nazereth were traveling in one of four buses in a convoy on a tour organized by a Galilee group. Ten were reported in critical condition, according to Dr. Said Eissa, director of emergency services in southern Sinai, and South Sinai Governor General Muhammed Hani Metwalli.
The buses were returning to Israel from a trip to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, said Foreign Ministry official Danny Miran in an interview with Channel 10 News. Miran said the driver and two tour guides were Egyptian citizens.
Magen David Adom southern district director Yehuda Shushanl told the Haaretz daily newspaper that requests by the Foreign Ministry, the IDF and border officials to enter the area were rebuffed. Egyptian officials informed Israeli officials that all of the injured had been taken to the local hospital at Nuweiba.
MADA officials turned to the Red Crescent society via the International Red Cross organization to allow them to enter the country to help treat the wounded. "We strongly hope they will let us into Egypt and will allow us to evacuate the injured Israelis," said Shushan. "The Nuweiba hospital is a sort of clinic," he said.
Some of the passengers made their way to the Israeli border in private vehicles owned by Israeli tourists.
The Ziv Hospital in Tzfat flew some of its staff south to assist the Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat with receiving the injured as they begin to arrive. Extra blood packs were brought to the hospital by MADA.
MADA ambulances were ordered to stand by at the Taba border crossing to provide whatever assistance is needed. An IDF helicopter was also placed on alert to evacuate injured passengers.
The situation echoed a similar scenario played out in April after three explosions ripped through the Red Sea resort town of Dahab, in a massive terror attack by al-Qaeda linked terrorists. MADA ambulances were not allowed to enter the Sinai Peninsula to provide assistance and transport for Israeli citizens injured in the bombing in the incident. MADA Medics instead were forced to receive the injured Israelis from Red Crescent ambulances which transported them to the Taba border crossing.
The Foreign Ministry estimated that approximately 5,000 Israelis entered Egypt within the past week.
The buses were returning to Israel from a trip to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, said Foreign Ministry official Danny Miran in an interview with Channel 10 News. Miran said the driver and two tour guides were Egyptian citizens.
Magen David Adom southern district director Yehuda Shushanl told the Haaretz daily newspaper that requests by the Foreign Ministry, the IDF and border officials to enter the area were rebuffed. Egyptian officials informed Israeli officials that all of the injured had been taken to the local hospital at Nuweiba.
MADA officials turned to the Red Crescent society via the International Red Cross organization to allow them to enter the country to help treat the wounded. "We strongly hope they will let us into Egypt and will allow us to evacuate the injured Israelis," said Shushan. "The Nuweiba hospital is a sort of clinic," he said.
Some of the passengers made their way to the Israeli border in private vehicles owned by Israeli tourists.
The Ziv Hospital in Tzfat flew some of its staff south to assist the Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat with receiving the injured as they begin to arrive. Extra blood packs were brought to the hospital by MADA.
MADA ambulances were ordered to stand by at the Taba border crossing to provide whatever assistance is needed. An IDF helicopter was also placed on alert to evacuate injured passengers.
The situation echoed a similar scenario played out in April after three explosions ripped through the Red Sea resort town of Dahab, in a massive terror attack by al-Qaeda linked terrorists. MADA ambulances were not allowed to enter the Sinai Peninsula to provide assistance and transport for Israeli citizens injured in the bombing in the incident. MADA Medics instead were forced to receive the injured Israelis from Red Crescent ambulances which transported them to the Taba border crossing.
The Foreign Ministry estimated that approximately 5,000 Israelis entered Egypt within the past week.