Security forces have forcibly evacuated areas adjacent to the border with Gaza, razing residents' houses and farmlands. They have blown up underground tunnels that authorities believe jihadis used to smuggle weapons and fighters in from neighboring Gaza, ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. El-Sissi recently said security forces are hampered by the presence of civilians in Sinai, requiring extreme caution which benefits the insurgents. Even those who oppose the militants become less likely to help security forces. The government contends that the Brotherhood is a terrorist group, intertwined with militants from the start.

Source: Fox News November 25, 2017 17:48 UTC