Egyptian Army Vows to ‘Uproot Terrorism’ in Sinai

Egypt's ground troops in a full-scale operation against militants in North and Central Sinai on Friday, April 1, 2018- Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Spokesperson's Facebook page
Egypt's ground troops in a full-scale operation against militants in North and Central Sinai on Friday, April 1, 2018- Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Spokesperson's Facebook page
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Egyptian Army Vows to ‘Uproot Terrorism’ in Sinai

Egypt's ground troops in a full-scale operation against militants in North and Central Sinai on Friday, April 1, 2018- Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Spokesperson's Facebook page
Egypt's ground troops in a full-scale operation against militants in North and Central Sinai on Friday, April 1, 2018- Photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Spokesperson's Facebook page

The Egyptian army has vowed to uproot terrorism and create an investment-friendly climate in the Sinai Peninsula, which has been witnessing lagescale clashes with extremist groups affiliated with ISIS since 2013.

Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, stressed that the army is persistently proceeding to uproot terror and extremism once and for all, and continuing to create the appropriate environment for investment and comprehensive development in Sinai.

Farid inspected on Thursday a number of security checkpoints on the main roads of North Sinai. He also followed up the military operations and security procedures of the permanent operations center in Arish city.

Military spokesman Colonel Tamer al-Rifai said that Farid met members of the armed forces and conveyed greetings of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Minister of Defense Gen. Mohamed Zaki.

Rifai also conveyed their pride in the armed forces' heroic role that contributed to eliminating terrorism and restoring normal life in cities of north and central Sinai.

Farid urged the armed forces to maintain the highest degree of vigilance and preparedness to counter all possible threats and hostile positions.

A cabinet statement by the North Sinai province on Thursday announced that alternative housing units were provided for the province’s residents damaged by clashes between law enforcement forces, and outlaws and terrorists.

The statement revealed that the citizen pays symbolic fees that don’t exceed EGP100.

Muhammad Eid, a public sector employee, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that he moved from Sheikh Zuweid’s south in 2016 after it became a security operations zone.

Major General Abdel Fadil Shousha, governor of North Sinai, said that this is the second time the authorities are providing alternative housing units.

Managing director of housing department of North Sinai governorate Mohamed Radwan revealed that in the second phase, apartments were made available for 1,176 families in Arish.



Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
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Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo

Human rights defenders rallied on Thursday to support the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, after the United States imposed sanctions on her over what it said was unfair criticism of Israel.

Italian lawyer Francesca Albanese serves as special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues.

She has long criticized Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and this month published a report accusing over 60 companies, including some US firms, of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military actions in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday Albanese would be added to the US sanctions list for work which had prompted what he described as illegitimate prosecutions of Israelis at the International Criminal Court.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Washington to reverse course.

"Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures," he said, Reuters reported.

Juerg Lauber, the Swiss permanent representative to the UN who now holds the rotating presidency of the Human Rights Council, said he regretted the sanctions, and called on states to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal" against the body's experts.

Mariana Katzarova, who serves as the special rapporteur for human rights in Russia, said her concern was that other countries would follow the US lead.

"This is totally unacceptable and opens the gates for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It is an attack on UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and denounce this."

Russia has rejected Katzarova's mandate and refused to let her enter the country, but it has so far stopped short of publicly adding her to a sanctions list.

Washington has already imposed sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for suspected war crimes in Gaza. Another court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide.

Israel denies that its forces have carried out war crimes or genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza, which was precipitated by an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023.

"The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely," said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The group's former head, Kenneth Roth, called the US sanctions an attempt "to deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza".

The United States, once one of the most active members of the Human Rights Council, has disengaged from it under President Donald Trump, alleging an anti-Israel bias.