Israel has decided to keep its Sinai border with Egypt closed indefinitely and will “reexamine the situation” in the coming days, according to a statement released Tuesday by the counter-terrorism unit in Israel's National Security Council.
The decision to close the border was ordered last week by the Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and was expected to stay in effect until at least April 18, closing off the Taba crossing for Israelis travelling out of the country to Egypt.
The decision to keep the border closed was made due to a "situation assessment." The decision would be reexamined in the coming days and would be changed in accordance to the situation, the statement said.
Thousands of Israelis usually cross the land border with Egypt during the holiday to visit resorts and beaches along the Sinai Red Sea coast.
Moments after the ban was announced last week, the Israeli military said a rocket was launched from the Sinai and struck southern Israel, causing no injuries.
IS later claimed responsibility for the attack. A statement published on the IS-affiliated Amaaq news agency said militants of the group fired a Grad rocket at "settlements in the Jewish Eshkol region."
Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau urged its citizens in late March not to travel to Egypt’s Sinai, calling on holidaymakers currently there to leave immediately, citing terror threats by the Islamic State militant group that may be targeting Israelis.
In a statement issued by Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Directorate, Israel said that this is a “Level 1” alert that is based on reliable information obtained by intelligence, and related to a "very high concrete threat".
"All Israelis currently in Sinai should return and … We also strongly advise that those wanting to travel to Sinai should not do so,” the directorate wrote in the statement.
The statement specifically warned that Israeli nationals may be the target of IS members who will be ready to carry out attacks during the holidays period.
"Islamic State and those inspired by it are at the forefront of global jihadi groups that are highly motivated to carry out attacks during this period," the statement said.
Tuesday night, an attack on security forces near Egypt's St. Catherine's Monastery in south Sinai has killed at least one person and injured four. The attack comes just over a week after two bombings on Egyptian churches during Palm Sunday services, claimed by Islamic State, killed 45 people. Pope Francis is to visit Egypt at the end of April.
