The battle in the northern Sinai Peninsula between the Egyptian military and extremist groups is still raging amid talk about development and the parliament agreeing to the government's plan to carry out King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud's development plan for Sinai. Sheikh Naeem Gabr, the general coordinator for the Tribes of North Sinai Coalition, spoke to Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview concerning the tribes' stance on the battle, as well as his assessment of Salman's plan for developing Sinai and how the military curfew hinders any attempts at development.
Gabr stressed that both Muslims and Christians have been targeted by recent attacks, in an attempt by radical groups to "undermine stability." While he commended the Saudi plan for developing the region, he pointed out that it does not include the areas in the northern part of the peninsula that are witnessing the fiercest battles. He stressed the importance of development, calling it "the greatest weapon against terrorism."
