Egypt frees Israeli held for 3 weeks over bullets found in his bag at border crossing

An Israeli man held in Egyptian custody for several weeks after bullets were found in his bag while traveling to the Sinai Peninsula has been freed, the Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.

Following his release, Daniel Haim crossed back into Israel, where he was reunited with his family in the southern city of Eilat.

A Foreign Ministry statement quoted Foreign Minister Eli Cohen thanking Egypt for freeing Haim and hailing the ministry’s work on the matter.

Haim, a 24-year-old from Holon who works as a security guard, was arrested on August 26 at the Taba Crossing with bullets in his bag, which he forgot to remove when packing.

File: View of the Taba border crossing between Israel and Egypt, as seen from the southern Israeli city of Eilat, January 28, 2021. (Flash90)

Multiple Israelis have been arrested in the past after bullets were found in pockets of their bags — usually young men just recently out of the army.

Most cases end after a few days with deportation and potentially a fine.