In early August 2012 , Israel 's National Security Council 's counter-terrorism bureau renewed its travel advisory against visiting the Sinai Peninsula , due to information on potential terrorist attacks against tourists , including kidnappings . The warning may have been due to Hamas ' release of Abu Walid al-Maqdisi , a Salafi leader of an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group , responsible for three bombings in Dahab in 2006 , and which is believed to have close ties with terror cells operating in the Sinai Peninsula . The following day , the United States also issued a travel warning to Americans to " take precautions in travel to the Sinai " and warned that " overland travel from Israel to the Sinai in particular is strongly discouraged . " Over the weekend prior to the attack on the border , various intelligence reports reaching the IDF 's Southern Command warned of an impending attack . Specific information regarding the time , target , and location of the attack could not be ascertained . Still , Southern Command Maj.-Gen . Tal Russo prepared his troops in case of an attack . Armored , Engineering , and Infantry soldiers were placed on high alert while the Israeli Air Force was deployed in the area as reinforcement . Russo evacuated troops from the Kerem Shalom border crossing , where the militants would later break through , in anticipation of them coming under attack
three bombings
2006 Dahab bombings
August 2012 Sinai attack