Amnesty slams Egypt’s ‘unlawful evictions’ in Rafah

Amnesty International Thursday condemned Egypt’s demolition of hundreds of homes and called for a halt to its “unlawful evictions” of residents to create a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip, Agence France Presse reported.

“Egyptian authorities must halt the arbitrary demolition of hundreds of homes and mass forced evictions underway in Rafah, North Sinai in order to create a buffer zone along the border with the Gaza Strip,” Amnesty said.

They “have proceeded with the evictions completely ignoring key safeguards required under international law including consultation with residents, adequate prior notice, sufficient compensation for losses and granting alternative housing to those who cannot provide for themselves, rendering the evictions unlawful.”

Egypt started work on the zone at the end of October with the aim of stopping militants reportedly infiltrating Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula from across the border.

More than 800 homes are being demolished and 1,100 families displaced to build the 500-meter wide, 13.5-kilometre long buffer zone.

The military began demolishing houses along the Gaza border after militants killed at least 30 soldiers in an Oct. 24 checkpoint attack in North Sinai, a region rocked by insurgency.