From All Africa

Egypt’s armed forces has so far destroyed over 700 houses to create a “buffer zone” on the country’s Easter border with the Palestinian Gaza Strip, a North Sinai official said on Wednesday. The official told state-run news agency MENA that the remaining houses in the area will be destroyed within the coming few days.

Security forces began evacuating the area bordering Sinai’s Rafah on October 28, as one of the steps taken in response to militant attacks on security personnel in the Peninsula on October 24 which left over 33 killed.

Egypt’s cabinet issued on October 29 a decision to clear 500 metres of the border area with Gaza of civilians, vowing to provide compensation for those evicted.

The official said that the government has so far paid around 63 million Egyptian pounds worth of compensation for displaced Rafah residents.

Egyptian authorities decided on Monday to double the depth of the “buffer zone” to become 1000 metres, describing the expansion as the “second phase” for the zone.

The cabinet’s decision to create the “buffer zone” allows the forcible seizure of the property of those who refuse to evacuate their homes. It also excludes those who shelter tunnels under their houses from entitlement to compensation.

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