Since the early 2000s , Sinai has been the site of several terror attacks against tourists , the majority of whom are Egyptian . Investigations have shown that these were mainly motivated by a resentment of the poverty faced by many Bedouin in the area . Attacking the tourist industry was viewed as a method of damaging the industry so that the government would pay more attention to their situation . ( See 2004 Sinai bombings , 2005 Sharm El Sheikh bombings and 2006 Dahab bombings ) . Since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution , unrest has become more prevalent in the area including the 2012 Egyptian-Israeli border attack in which 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed by militants . ( See Sinai insurgency . ) Also on the rise are kidnappings of refugees . According to Meron Estifanos , Eritrean refugees are often kidnapped by Bedouin in the northern Sinai , tortured , raped , and only released after receiving a large ransom
2006 Dahab bombings
2006 Dahab bombings
Sinai Peninsula