2011 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Egypt
| 2011 attack on the Israeli embassy in Egypt | |||
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| Part of events surrounding the 2011 Egyptian revolution | |||
  The attack site
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| Date | 9–10 September 2011 | ||
| Location |
Israeli embassy at Giza, Egypt 30°01′43.20″N 31°13′01″E / 30.0286667°N 31.21694°E |
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| Methods | Demonstrations, rioting, online activism, infiltration | ||
| Number | |||
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| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | 3 Egyptian protesters | ||
| Injuries | ~1,049 Egyptian protesters | ||
On 9 September 2011, several thousand protesters forcibly entered the Israeli embassy in Giza, Greater Cairo, after breaking down a recently constructed wall built to protect the compound. The protesters later broke into a police station and stole weapons, resulting in police using tear gas in an attempt to protect themselves. The demonstrators eventually broke through the security wall and entered the offices of the embassy. Six members of the embassy staff, who had been in a "safe room", were evacuated from the site by Egyptian commandos, following the personal intervention of United States President Barack Obama.
Following the attack, the Israeli deputy ambassador remained in Cairo; 85 staff members and their families returned to Israel. The Egyptian army declared a state of alert.
During 2011, relations between Israel and Egypt deteriorated after the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, reaching their lowest point since peace was established between the nations by the 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty. The Israeli-Egyptian border became a region of conflict and instability due to increased militant activity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, and anti-Israeli sentiment was expressed in protests by masses of Egyptians in the streets of Giza.
On 18 August 2011, a squad of militants crossed the border from the Sinai Peninsula into southern Israel, killing eight Israelis. The ensuing Israeli counter-terrorist operations in close proximity to the border resulted in the deaths of "at least three" Egyptian soldiers. The soldiers' deaths by Israeli fire ignited protests at the Israeli Embassy in Giza. During a demonstration on 20 August 2011, an Egyptian protester climbed 20-feet up the building's facade to remove the Israeli flag.
The Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces considered recalling the Egyptian ambassador in Tel Aviv. Eventually, Israel publicly apologized for the deaths of the Egyptian soldiers. Egypt stated that Israel's apology was "insufficient."
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