World

Egyptian Man Detained After Crossing into Israel Near Nitzana

By Reuters

An Egyptian civilian was detained overnight by Israeli forces after crossing a border fence from Egyptian territory into Israel near Nitzana. The military said the man was transferred to security forces for further questioning, but did not disclose his identity, motive, or whether he was carrying any items. Israeli state broadcaster Kan 11 reported that surveillance footage captured the suspect crossing the border and that troops were dispatched to arrest him. Nitzana, a small community in southern Israel’s western Negev Desert, sits directly adjacent to the Egyptian border opposite the Al‑Awja area. The Nitzana or Eliav crossing mainly handles cargo transport between the two countries and is not a major passenger channel. It is located about 75 km (47 miles) south of Beersheba. The incident occurred while Israel maintains heightened alert levels along the Egyptian border. Ynet reported that the military was treating the incident seriously and that it was under investigation. Egyptian officials have not publicly commented on the detention. Drug and arms smuggling occurs across the border between Egypt and Israel, countries that signed a peace treaty in 1979 but whose relationship remains largely chilly. Ynet noted that the crossing happened less than a year after Israel’s defence minister declared the area adjacent to the Egyptian border a closed military zone and announced changes to open‑fire regulations following earlier smuggling activity.