CAIRO: Egypt’s military has intensified home demolitions in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula as part of its campaign against a local affiliate of Daesh, an international rights group said Tuesday.
The military launched a massive security operation in early February in restive northern Sinai, the epicenter of an extremist insurgency spearheaded by the local Daesh affiliate. The campaign also includes parts of the Nile Delta region and the Western Desert, along the porous border with Libya.
Human Rights Watch said in a report that Egypt’s military vastly expanded widespread destruction of homes, commercial buildings and farms in Northern Sinai province since Feb. 9.
“The new destruction, including hundreds of hectares of farmland and at least 3,000 homes and commercial buildings, together with 600 buildings destroyed in January, is the largest since the army officially began evictions in 2014,” HRW said.
“Turning people’s homes into rubble is part of the same self-defeating security plan that has restricted food and movement to inflict pain on Sinai residents,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, the watchdog’s Mideast director.
HRW said the destruction has extended well beyond two government-designated security buffer zones in Sinai cities of al-Arish and Rafah.
Egypt has built the buffer zone along Gaza’s border in an effort to prevent militants from using a vast underground tunnel network that was created to evade a decade-old Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the territory. It also bulldozed homes and olive groves around the el-Arish airport where Daesh militants attempted to hit the country’s defense and interior ministers in December.
Egypt has been battling Islamic militants for years in Sinai, but the insurgency gained strength after the 2013 overthrow of an Islamist president.
Group: Egyptian army intensifies home demolitions in Sinai
Group: Egyptian army intensifies home demolitions in Sinai
GCC ambassadors hold discussions with Japan’s ruling party regarding Iran
- KONO Taro, head of the LDP’s international relations, participated in the high-level discussions alongside other senior officials
- Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Japan, described the meeting as a timely opportunity to exchange views on the evolving regional situation
TOKYO: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ambassadors met on Tuesday with leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to explore deeper collaboration across multiple fields and tackle pressing issues related to Iran.
KONO Taro, head of the party’s international relations, participated in the high-level discussions alongside other senior officials.
Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Japan, described the meeting as a timely opportunity to exchange views on the evolving regional situation.
Ambassador Binzagr emphasized that during periods of heightened tension, open dialogue with trusted partners like Japan is essential. He noted that diplomacy and clear communication are vital for defusing conflict and maintaining regional stability.
Saudi Ambassador Binzagr further noted that the Gulf countries and Japan share a longstanding history of cooperation founded on mutual trust and common objectives of stability and prosperity. He stated, “In times such as these, it is precisely these enduring partnerships that allow constructive dialogue to prevail, and that help ensure that wisdom and restraint guide the path toward peace and stability in our region."
Kono underscored the strong bonds and active cooperation between Japan and the GCC, noting that Japan views its ties with the GCC as a strategic partnership.
