{"id":18398,"date":"2024-10-07T17:13:34","date_gmt":"2024-10-07T15:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=18398"},"modified":"2026-10-08T23:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T21:47:13","slug":"oct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/oct\/","title":{"rendered":"Between the October War and Gaza… Are We Still Victorious?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A file prepared by: Manar Behary, Rasha Ammar, Sahar Azzazi, Shimaa Elyoussef and Mai Ali<\/strong><\/p>\n

At noon on 6 October 1973, at precisely 1:55 pm, the first air strike<\/a> began with 220 aircraft, hitting its targets with an accuracy rate of 95%. It was followed by an artillery barrage of about 2,000 artillery pieces and hundreds of direct-fire weapons for 53 minutes from 2:05 pm, which was classified at the time as the largest artillery barrage in the history of modern warfare.<\/p>\n

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On 7 October last year, 2023, Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza attacked a number of Israeli settlements, starting a war that is still raging. Some linked it to the October victories of the past; however, Tel Aviv has carried out acts of genocide against the people of Gaza, in addition to destroying most of its areas and displacing its population. According to an announcement by the Palestinian Ministry of Health<\/a> on Sunday, the death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Strip has risen to about 41,870, in addition to 97,166 injured.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Some link the displacement of Sinai’s residents and the development projects announced by the regime, after a war it waged against terrorism for years, with the Egyptian blood shed on Sinai’s soil, asking what has become of things 51 years after the war, and whether Sinai has truly become the property of Egyptians.<\/p>\n

In this file, Zawia3<\/strong> raises a number of angles on the anniversary of the war, from the development of Sinai and media disinformation to Egypt’s budget between the two wars.<\/p>\n

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First Scene… Tales from the Epic<\/h3>\n
\"The
The October War (Arab press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Egyptian soldiers wrote heroic stories with their blood, paying a heavy price to recover what had been taken by force. Conscript Abdel Hamid El-Qaddah<\/strong> gives his testimony to Zawia3. He says: “In 1972 my journey began, when I joined the Egyptian army at the age of 19. I was gripped by feelings of pride and fear at the same time, as the years after the 1967 Naksa had left a deep mark on my generation. I was called up in April 1972 and assigned to the tank maintenance training centre. Days passed, and then we received the news that our forces had crossed; we were eager to take part. At that moment Brigadier Adel El-Fergany, head of the training centre, appeared and gave us a speech, telling us that this moment was the beginning of our crossing towards victory, and that each of us had a role in supporting the forces at the front.”<\/p>\n

He adds: “We were distributed to tank maintenance workshops, and in Abbasiya in Cairo I spent a period without leave. During that time I saw the captured Israeli tanks, which were a sign of our victories.”<\/p>\n

Adel Zaqzouq<\/strong>, 72, spoke about his heroic experience during the war, pointing to the intensive efforts the armed forces made in preparation for that historic moment. He says: “We were fully prepared; we underwent rigorous training to restore our dignity after the Naksa, and we had a strong determination to win.”<\/p>\n

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Adel Zaqzouq was the leader of a reconnaissance group in the paratroopers, and had lived through the events of the Naksa and the War of Attrition before receiving the orders to begin fighting in October. He tells us how everyone felt great excitement on seeing the planes take off towards Sinai, which meant that zero hour had come.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“In the paratroopers we were trained for rapid response, and our presence at the airports was part of our strategy. The war was revenge for us, and the Egyptian soldiers were able to take revenge.” He goes on to describe the spirit of solidarity among the soldiers, as no one left a wounded comrade behind: “We wrote our wills; there was no place for weakness, and we left no wounded man behind in the battle.”<\/p>\n

Adel proudly recalls the battle of Deversoir, when Egyptian fighters showed unprecedented courage, overcoming the enemy’s superior weapons: “We fought the battle as an existential battle.”<\/p>\n

The memories did not stop with the heroes of the Egyptian army who took part in the war, but extended to their families, who always shared part of it with them. Journalist Samah Osman, daughter of conscript Osman Mahmoud, reveals the unique experience he lived through: he was a conscript when the Naksa happened, continued with the army through the War of Attrition, all the way to the army of victory in October. She recalled her father’s accounts of the soldiers’ high morale, even though they did not know the date of the war in advance.<\/p>\n

According to Samah, whose father died five months ago, he served in the artillery, carrying shells and firing them to support his comrades in battle. She describes how soldiers swapped positions whenever one of them was killed, and the precise organisation of the air force, which included defence and attack units, in addition to air cover protecting the ground and naval forces.<\/p>\n

The daughter of the October War hero recalls a scene etched in her memory from his time in El-Arish, when he used his skill to hide his weapon whenever enemy planes flew overhead. After years of service, he chose to work at the Ministry of Supply as an economic choice after his conscription ended, to bring stability to his family.<\/p>\n

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These were not the only stories Zawia3 documented; there are other untold stories of citizens who lived through the Naksa and the war and sacrificed their lives and property to achieve victory, but their sacrifices continued after the war ended, when they had to face forced displacement once again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Second Scene… Displacement<\/h3>\n
\"Displacement
Displacement of the residents of the Canal cities after the June 1967 aggression, Egyptian newspapers archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Sayed the Migrant: that was the nickname my father earned in the area we moved to at the end of 1967, following the events in Suez Governorate, where we lived before the October War.” These were the words of Mohamed Sayed, in his sixties, speaking to Zawia3, recalling stories from the Naksa and the war and the details of their displacement.<\/p>\n

He says: “At the time I was not yet ten years old, but those events are still stuck in my memory.”<\/p>\n

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The city of Suez witnessed<\/a> the last battles of the October 1973 war between the Egyptian army and the Israeli occupation army, specifically on 24 and 25 October, just before the ceasefire took effect, as Tel Aviv, in light of its losses on the ground against Egyptian forces in Sinai, attempted to storm the city of Suez, believing its defences would be weak.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mohamed describes waking up to the sound of planes and shells everywhere and rushing to his mother. He continues: “My mother took me and my three siblings, and we rushed down to the ground floor to shelter from the shells. Then my father arrived, running towards us, especially as many of the neighbouring houses had collapsed because of the bombardment.” According to his testimony, news spread of an Israeli attack on the entire city, so the authorities decided to evacuate all the residents, who left against their will, clinging to a few belongings in the hope of returning soon.<\/p>\n

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The study<\/a> “Residents of the Canal Cities… Between Stability and Displacement” showed that the displacement of the residents of the Canal cities after the June 1967 aggression was preceded by a similar one after the Tripartite Aggression of 1956, with a return on 1 April of the following year, both driven by security and military necessity. The citizens of the Canal cities (then called the frontline cities) gave a living example of steadfastness, standing as a home front behind their military forces in the circumstances that followed the aggression, even though the enemy targeted their homes and facilities with its shells and people were killed. In addition, the citizens of the Canal bore heavy burdens related to life in displacement, which had negative aspects embodied in the problems facing the displaced.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mohamed describes the second scene with difficulty; all the residents were displaced with no destination. He says: “Then we found the vehicles the army had sent to move residents to different governorates. Some of our relatives relied on their acquaintances and connections in neighbouring governorates and moved there, while my father decided to head to Giza, hoping to find suitable work. As soon as we arrived, we stayed in one of the schools designated for the displaced. We did not know the area or where we could find housing for our family of six. After several weeks, we saw no hope of returning soon to our area, especially as news kept coming that the city was completely besieged, so my father decided to look for housing so we could settle more safely.”<\/p>\n

He goes on to describe the sadness that took hold of his father and all the displaced, explaining that his father’s health deteriorated with his constant longing for his home, and adding that the difficulty of communicating with the rest of the family had the greatest negative impact on his father, who had started working again in the fruit and vegetable trade to cover the family’s expenses.<\/p>\n

Mohamed describes the final scene, which began with the armed forces’ statement broadcast on Egyptian radio announcing the start of the attack on the Israeli occupation forces and direct hits on the enemy. He says: “Despite the years, I remember that voice and how deeply it affected my father, who had just come home for lunch; he cried out ‘Allahu Akbar’ as soon as he heard the statement. But although the land was recovered, we could not regain our old life or return to our homes, as my father had settled in his work and my siblings and I had enrolled in school; yet those memories stayed in all our minds until the death of Sayed the Migrant.”<\/p>\n

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New Displacement Under the Pretext of Public Benefit<\/h3>\n

The families of those displaced from the Canal cities during the war have suffered a new displacement, as the authorities decided to expand the use of the public benefit law, launching extensive campaigns to remove entire areas under the pretext of development. Qassem Nabil (a pseudonym), a resident of Nasr City (a removal decision was issued two years ago for the Sixth and Seventh Districts of Nasr City, among the most prominent districts built to house those displaced from the Canal cities), says residents still reject the removal decisions despite all the alternatives offered, especially since the two targeted districts were not informal settlements but buildings established by the state in the era of the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He explains that they receive strict security warnings from the police not to speak to any media outlet or express themselves on social media, so that this is not considered a violation of, and incitement against, government decisions.<\/p>\n

He points out that together with the residents he submitted many requests to reconsider this decision, but to no avail, despite their full readiness to restore the residential buildings that need maintenance at their own expense; that offer was not enough to make the government postpone the removal decision, according to Qassem.<\/p>\n

In September 2020, the current President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, issued a presidential decree<\/a> ratifying amendments to the law on expropriation for public benefit. The amendments included that compensation be equivalent to prevailing prices plus 20%, and that a committee be formed in each governorate by decision of the Minister of Irrigation to determine compensation. Based on this decision, the Egyptian government decided<\/a> in 2022 to demolish the buildings of the Sixth and Seventh Districts of Nasr City, which were built more than 60 years ago and had not been maintained throughout that period, with the authorities supposedly taking charge of development and replanning. The total number of families targeted by these removals reached<\/a> about three thousand.<\/p>\n

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According to a data-driven investigation published by Zawia3<\/a>, in 2021 the average rent for unfurnished apartments of 100 to 200 square metres in Egypt was about EGP 2,487. Since then, rents have risen continuously, reaching about EGP 12,268 this year, 2024. Rents in Egypt rose markedly in 2022: in Cairo they increased by 400%, followed by Giza Governorate with an increase of 145% over the previous year, while in Alexandria and Sharqia the increase was about 55%.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Recommended reading:<\/strong> Analysis: Are Sudanese Really the Cause of Egypt’s Real Estate Crisis?<\/a><\/p>\n

For his part, lawyer Malek Adly<\/strong>, director of the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, explains that displacement in Egypt is an old practice that has occurred under different eras and political regimes. After the July 1952 revolution, displacement began in many areas of southern Egypt, including Nubia and Aswan, to build the Aswan Reservoir and subsequent projects such as the High Dam; that was the beginning of displacement carried out for the public interest in favour of national projects serving the people, which gave it acceptance at the time.<\/p>\n

He points to the expansion of public benefit powers through laws issued by the political regime after the Brotherhood’s rule, as widening roads, building bridges and developing some areas came to fall under public benefit, which had not happened before.<\/p>\n

Adly explains to us that displacement places great economic and material burdens on citizens, especially in areas where the owners’ right to ownership has been proven. He added that the ordeals of displacement the Canal cities experienced amid the war forced citizens to leave everything behind and move to safer areas, which prompted President Abdel Nasser to establish Nasr City, which became one of the areas most attractive to the displaced. He continued that this area has been witnessing another displacement since the government issued its decision to remove the Sixth and Seventh Districts, with the aim of developing the area.<\/p>\n

He recommends setting the necessary controls for applying the provisions of the public benefit law, so that it does not exceed the law’s general frameworks. According to Adly, this is what is currently happening in many different residential areas, as displacing citizens to exploit the land’s investment value has become a general trend of the authorities under the pretext of the public interest.<\/p>\n

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As the series of displacements continues in many governorates, citizens’ psychological and economic pain multiplies, especially with the development of the legal umbrella that helps displace citizens from their property; particularly the people of Sinai, who were displaced under the pretext of the war on terrorism, some of whom have still not returned or received fair compensation, despite the announcement of the start of Sinai’s development.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Recommended reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n