Serangan terjadi saat Perdana Menteri Israel Ehud Olmert menuju loka wisata Laut Merah Sharm el-Sheikh untuk merundingkan pembukaan kembali alur perdamaian Timur Tengah dengan Presiden Mesir Hosni Mubarak.
The incursion came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was headed to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for talks on restarting the Middle East peace process with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.