On isolated Gaza’s southern flank, an Egyptian buffer zone takes shape

Egypt began demolishing houses along its border with Gaza on Wednesday to set up a buffer zone to prevent militant infiltration and arms smuggling following a wave of deadly attacks. The move, which will see about 800 homes razed, comes after a suicide bomber killed 30 soldiers in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which borders the Palestinian territory, last Friday. It also comes two days after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi enacted a decree allowing military trials for civilians suspected of attacking state infrastructure, as he promised a tough response to what he called the “existential threat” posed by the militants.

We are for national and border security, but not at the cost of our homes and interests.

Wissam al-Agha, a Rafah doctor, whose house lies within the area earmarked for the buffer zone.

The move could also be read as a face saving measure for Egypt’s wildly popular army, by shifting blame for its own security failures onto outside powers, namely Hamas, the militant organization that runs Gaza. Authorities say the border area is used by criminal gangs to smuggle arms from Gaza to Sinai, and have promised to compensate affected families with the monetary value of their properties and rent money for up to three months. Residents of Sinai say they rely on the tunnels for their livelihoods. But Egyptian security forces see them as a security threat and regularly destroy them.

Middle East Gaza Egypt