President Abdel Fattah El Sisi addressed the targeting of Coptic Christians inNorth Sinai by Islamist terrorists and the growing perception both in and (mostly) out of Egypt that his administration wasn’t doing enough to protect them. He said that this was playing into the hands of the terrorists. Speaking at an event on Tuesday (footage of which aired yesterday on state television), El Sisi stressed the sacrifices of security personnel and the army defending the people of North Sinai in a war which his administration has largely contained. The majority of Egyptians, he said, do not feel the impact of the war. The state’s strategy is to target terrorists without harming the lives and property of civilians in Sinai, the president added, saying he would not evacuate all of Al Arish and transform it into a security zone. He promised that the displacement of Christians was only temporary (watch, runtime: 5:01). This comes as Amnesty International said the government had failed to protect Christians in North Sinai and failed to bring the attackers to justice. The group urged that the government protect them and end discriminatory attacks on Christians nationwide.

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