Sinai Tribes: 4 Civilians Killed in Gunmen Attack

An Egyptian military vehicle in northern Sinai (File photo: Reuters)
An Egyptian military vehicle in northern Sinai (File photo: Reuters)
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Sinai Tribes: 4 Civilians Killed in Gunmen Attack

An Egyptian military vehicle in northern Sinai (File photo: Reuters)
An Egyptian military vehicle in northern Sinai (File photo: Reuters)

The Union of Sinai Tribes announced that four civilians were killed and 13 others injured during an attack of armed gunmen in Qabir Omair village in Sheikh Zuweid, North Sinai.

Qabir Omair is among several areas in North Sinai included in armed forces' security operation “Comprehensive Operation- Sinai” launched in February 2018 to cleanse the region from terrorist and criminal elements and organization.

The Union issued a statement saying that masked gunmen came from the south of the city and opened fire at the houses as soon as they reached Qabir Omair village.

The statement noted that residents tried to confront the terrorists who attacked several homes, killing four and injuring 13 others.

A medical source in North Sinai said that the dead and the injured were evacuated to al-Arish General Hospital, including four serious cases.

Ahmed Abu Ajlan, a farmer from the village, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the gunmen targeted a family inside their home.

Another village man, Mohammed Mouslim, said that the gunmen were planning to rob the house, noting that they were over 10 militants and escaped as soon as security forces arrived.

Tribal and security sources in North Sinai told Asharq Al-Awsat that the attack indicates that terrorists are running low on their supplies and food, and that is why they are robbing homes.

A tribal source indicated that terrorists previously attacked three houses and stole provisions, food, and cattle.

Security expert, Colonel Hatem Saber, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the attack confirms that Egypt succeeded in ending the logistical support of the terrorists, ensuring the importance of controlling all the roads they use to transport supplies and food.

He explained that due to the closure of all roads, militants are now forced to raid residents’ homes to loot their food supplies, citing former incidents when the terrorist groups robbed a large sum of money from a bank in al-Arish in North Sinai three years ago.



Egypt, Spain Reject US Plan to Displace Gazans

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a signed agreements following their meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, 19 February 2025. (EPA)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a signed agreements following their meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, 19 February 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt, Spain Reject US Plan to Displace Gazans

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a signed agreements following their meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, 19 February 2025. (EPA)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a signed agreements following their meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, 19 February 2025. (EPA)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday rejected a controversial proposal by US President Donald Trump to displace Palestinians from the war-devastated Gaza Strip.  

The Arab League is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting in Cairo on March 4 in response to Trump's plan to take over Gaza and permanently move its Palestinian inhabitants elsewhere, including to Egypt and Jordan, and then redevelop the coastal territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East".  

Speaking in Madrid ahead of the gathering, Sisi called for the "international community's support and adoption of a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing the Palestinian people -- I repeat, without displacing the Palestinian people -- from their land, which they cling to, and their homeland, which they do not agree to relinquish".

Sanchez, one of the staunchest defenders of the Palestinian cause within the European Union, agreed, saying "Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and is part of the future Palestinian state".

"Their expulsion would not only be immoral and contrary to international law and United Nations resolutions, but would also have a destabilizing effect," the Socialist premier added.  

The two leaders also signed a declaration upgrading Egypt-Spain relations to a "strategic partnership", as well as several memorandums of understanding in various fields including illegal migration and defense.  

Trump's plan sparked an outcry from Arab governments as well as from world leaders, and the United Nations warned against "ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territory.