Israel Condemns Muslim Terror Attack on Christians in Egypt

Israel strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack in Egypt, in which Muslim militants shot and killed 29 Christians and wounded scores. 

Israel on Friday issued a strong condemnation of the Islamic terror attack in Egypt, in which 29 Christians were murdered and dozens of others were wounded.

“Israel strongly condemns the severe terrorist attack in Egypt and sends the condolences of the Israeli people to President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sissi and the Egyptian people,” the statement said.

“There is no difference between the terror of the attack in Egypt and that of attacks in other countries,” the statement stressed, adding that “terror will be defeated more quickly if all countries work together against it.”

Masked Muslim terrorists riding in three SUVs opened fire Friday on a bus packed with Coptic Christians, including children, south of the Egyptian capital, killing at least 29 people and wounding 22, while they were on their way to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Maghagha.

The Islamic State (ISIS) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack came on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

According to accounts given by survivors, the terrorists forced the Christians to recite the Shehada (Muslim declaration of faith) before shooting them dead.

Christians in Egypt have endured several years of terrorist attacks by Islamist groups, and have recently experienced a surge in attacks by ISIS.

In April, two suicide bombings at Palm Sunday services at churches in Alexandria and Tanta butchered 46 people.

In December, a suicide bombing at a church in Cairo killed 29 people, while a Christian community was forced to flee the town of el-Arish in the northern Sinai peninsula after a series of gun attacks in February.

By: Max Gelber, United with Israel