Deadliest Attacks this Month in Sinai | Committee of Experts Begin Soliciting Recommendations


In the Sinai, the spate of violent attacks continued as reports emerged that six people were killed and around 10 injured in “at least 10 attacks” in Arish and Rafah. Three policemen were killed by snipers conducting were described as coordinated attacks on a police station, an administrative building, and a television station. The other deaths included a civilian driving a car and a soldier stationed outside of a bank in downtown Arish.

Reuters published a report on a weeks-long campaign by the Egyptian military to destroy numerous smuggling tunnels along the Egypt-Gaza border; according to an anonymous Egyptian official, this action was taken to support security goals.

The 10-person committee charged with creating recommendations for changing Egypt’s constitution met for the first time in order to establish procedures and solicit suggestions. The committee determined to accept amendment suggestions “from political parties and the public” for a period of one week. This “experts committee” has one month to complete their review of amendment proposals and offer up an initial draft constitution, at which point a larger committee will begin to develop the final draft of the constitution prior to a national referendum.

Financial assistance in the form of a $2 billion interest free loan, promised earlier by Saudi Arabia, was deposited in the Egyptian central bank. The five-year loan is part of the overall $12 billion in aid so far promised by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates following Morsi’s ouster.

A planned hearing on the July 14 decision by the prosecutor-general to freeze the financial assets of ten top Muslim Brotherhood members was adjourned until August 21.