Photo: Human Rights Watch The Egyptian army has demolished more than 12,300 residential and commercial buildings and 6,000 hectares of farms since 2013 in the Sinai where it faces armed militant groups, according to Human Rights Watch. "The Egyptian government should stop arbitrary expulsions and demolitions and expedite the payment of fair compensation in a transparent manner to all, and ensure that the expelled residents return to their homes as soon as possible," said Joe Stork, deputy director of the organization's Middle East and North Africa department. Human Rights Watch confirmed that the demolition of the buildings took place between 2013 and 2020 by the Egyptian armed forces in the Arish region, the capital of North Sinai. The organization relied on official documents and testimonies it collected in cooperation with the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights, an independent human rights organization.