Hundreds of Christian families escaped the city of el-Arish Feb. 24 after the Islamic State (IS) and its branch in Egypt, Wilayat Sinai, increased attacks on Copts there. It is believed to be the largest wave of collective displacement in Egypt since the June 1967 war. Coptic families have discretely been experiencing displacement since the Egyptian government declared a war on terrorism in July 2013, but Cairo and the media have taken an interest in this latest wave because it involves collective migration. No official census figures are available on the Coptic population in the Sinai.

The murder of seven Copts in el-Arish in sporadic incidents between Jan. 30 and Feb. 23 triggered this most recent displacement. Rev. Boulos Halim, spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church, told Al-Monitor that an estimated 310 Coptic families are believed to have been uprooted through mid-March. The ultimate fate of the displaced is for the moment unknown, and their return to el-Arish is uncertain.

The Evangelical Church in Ismailia was the first to open its doors to the displaced, who were temporarily lodged at the Youth Hostel in Ismailia. Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali visited them Feb. 25 and erroneously told them that they would be returning home in a couple of days. “Consider yourselves on a trip,” she said.

Wali’s statement sparked anger among the displaced Copts. Samir Shukri who had fled el-Arish with his family told Al-Monitor, “The minister knows nothing about the situation in el-Arish.” Shukri refuses to return to the ravaged city because it remains unsafe.