HRW: Egypt Committing War Crimes in Sinai

In a new report, Human Rights Watch claims that Egypt is committing war crimes against civilians living in the northern Sinai Peninsula as part of its fight against Islamic extremists, most notably those who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The report cites alleged cases of arbitrary arrests, forced evictions, torture and killings. “Instead of protecting Sinai residents in their fight against militants, the Egyptian security forces have shown utter contempt to residents’ lives, turning their daily life into a nonstop nightmare of abuses,” Michael Page, HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement issued on HRW’s website. According to the statement, the watchdog group “interviewed 54 North Sinai residents between 2016 and 2018 for the report, as well as activists, journalists, and other witnesses, including two former army officers, a soldier, a former official who worked in North Sinai, and a former United States national security official who worked on Egypt issues.” It also blamed the insurgents for “horrific crimes.”