Zawia3 · Documentation — Full Timeline

Warraq Island
A Land Rights Crisis

An ongoing crisis since 1998 — between residents determined to stay and state plans to transform the island into a luxury investment project. Over 90,000 lives at stake.

1,400feddans — island area
90,000+residents
27 yearsof ongoing crisis
EGP 17.5bnprojected development cost
Key:
Legal ruling/decree
Government order
Security crackdown/violence
Residents' resistance
Human rights
Negotiations
Development project
Phase 1 Legal Origins — 1998 to 2016
1998—
Government order
Al-Ganzouri Decree: Warraq Designated a Nature Reserve
Prime Minister Kamal Al-Ganzouri issued Decree No. 1969 of 1998, designating 188 Nile islands — including Warraq — as nature reserves, prohibiting construction and placing them under environmental management. The decree raised suspicions among residents about the government's true intentions.
Source: Al-Watan, Al Jazeera, Mada Masr
2000May
★ The Opening Shot
Atef Ebeid: Warraq Declared "Public Utility"
Prime Minister Atef Ebeid issued a decree converting Warraq and Al-Dahab islands into "public utilities", paving the way for state takeover. This was the true starting point of the crisis. Observers note that businessmen close to Mubarak sought to develop it into a luxury resort.
Source: Shabakat, Idaaat, Al-Ahram
2002—
Court ruling in residents' favor
Administrative Court Annuls the Eviction Decree
Residents filed a lawsuit before the Council of State, and the Supreme Administrative Court ruled in their favor, annulling the "public utility" designation. Many residents hold property deeds dating back to the 1940s. This ruling temporarily halted Mubarak-era plans.
Source: Shabakat, Al Jazeera, Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
2009—
Government order
Environment Ministry Revives the Nature Reserve Proposal
The Environment Ministry announced a plan to use Warraq and Al-Dahab islands as nature reserves with service projects. Residents viewed this as yet another attempt at displacement.
Source: Shabakat
2010—
Government order
Nazif Government: Boundary Demarcation and "Horus City" Plan
Ahmed Nazif's government issued a decree demarcating administrative boundaries and drew up a plan to transform the island into "Horus City." The Urban Planning Authority began preparing a new master plan.
Source: Al-Qessa, Zahma
2011January
Temporary reprieve
January Revolution Suspends the Plans
With the January 25 revolution and the fall of Mubarak, businessmen who had targeted the island retreated. Residents experienced a brief sense of relief until a new wave of pressure emerged under Sisi.
Source: Bread and Freedom Party, Idaaat
2014—
Protest
Residents Protest Outside Giza Governorate Demanding a Bridge
Residents gathered to demand a bridge to replace the ferry boats following repeated drowning incidents. Security forces dispersed the protest without addressing their demands.
Source: Idaaat
2016—
Decree + clashes
Land Seized for the Rawda Al-Farag Axis — First Sisi-era Confrontations
A decree was issued seizing island land for the Rawda Al-Farag highway axis. The first clashes between residents and security forces under Sisi took place, with some homes demolished.
Source: Socialist Portal, Rassd
Phase 2 The Major Escalation — 2017
2017June
Sisi conference + ministerial decree
Sisi Orders Removal of "Encroachments" — Warraq Stripped of Nature Reserve Status
At a conference on "removing encroachments on state property," Abdel Fattah el-Sisi alluded to Warraq. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail subsequently issued a decree on June 19, 2017 excluding 17 Nile islands — Warraq first among them — from the 1998 nature reserve designation. The countdown had begun.
Source: Al-Watan, Al Jazeera, Rassd, Shabakat
201716 July
★ Black Day — The Turning Point
Mass Raid — One Killed, Dozens Injured, First Mass Arrests
Security forces stormed the island to execute demolition orders on ~700 homes. Birdshot and tear gas were deployed.

• Sayed Hassan Ali Al-Gizawi shot dead by birdshot
• More than 56 people injured
• 18 young men arrested (9 taken from hospitals, 9 during the funeral)
• Forces later withdrew "with promises to return" and imposed a strict security cordon
Source: Al-Masry Al-Youm, Al Jazeera, Masr Al-Arabia
2017July–Sept
Negotiations + siege
Army Negotiates — Demolitions "Indefinitely Postponed"
General Kamel El-Wazir conducted negotiations with residents. All 18 detainees were eventually released. In exchange: a tight security cordon was imposed on all island entry and exit points — and remains in place to this day.
Source: Masr Al-Arabia, Al-Ahram
Phase 3 Institutional Takeover — 2018 to 2021
2018January
Official decree No. 20
Prime Ministerial Decree No. 20 of 2018: A New Urban Community
The decree was issued establishing a "new urban community" on Warraq's land under the New Urban Communities Authority. Published in the Official Gazette in June 2018. By September 2018, the Authority approved creating the "Warraq New Island Development Agency." The project now had a formal institutional structure.
Source: Official Gazette, Mashroa Masr
2018April
Development project
Transfer to Urban Authority — Land Purchases Begin at EGP 6,000–12,000/m²
Cabinet resolution formally transferring the island to the Urban Authority in cooperation with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The project, branded "Horus City," includes 8 investment zones, upscale housing, a marina, hotels, and towers.
Source: Mubashir, Mashroa Masr
2018November
Decree
Corniche Land Seizure: 100m from Rawda Axis + 30m from Island Perimeter
A decree was issued seizing land within 100m of the Rawda Al-Farag axis and 30m of the island's outer perimeter to build a corniche. The Engineering Authority completed a corniche along the island's western bank.
Source: Hurriya wa Adala, Mada Masr
2018–2020—
Recurring clashes
Repeated Rounds of Confrontations and Arrests
Recurring clashes between residents and security forces in 2018 and 2019. Security used tear gas and birdshot in each round. Demolitions repeatedly "postponed" after each escalation, only to resume. Pressure campaigns continued alongside a heavy security presence.
Source: RT Arabic, Dustur Party
2021—
Service closures
Health Clinic, Post Office, and Youth Center Shut Down
As pressure on residents intensified:
• Health clinic closed
• Post office closed
• Youth center demolished
• Ferry operating hours reduced
Residents described these measures as a deliberate effort to make life on the island unsustainable.
Source: Mada Masr, Hurriya wa Adala
Phase 4 Construction Advances and Total Siege — 2022 to 2023
2022February
Court ruling
Court Rejects Residents' Bid to Halt Urban Development
The Administrative Court rejected a lawsuit filed by residents seeking to stop construction of the urban community on island land. This legal setback left them in an open-ended confrontation with no effective judicial cover.
Source: Hurriya wa Adala
2022August
Clashes + arrests
August Clashes — Government Claims 75% of Land Acquired "Voluntarily"
Another round of violent clashes. Security stormed the island with tear gas. Meanwhile, the head of the Warraq Development Agency announced the Authority had acquired 71–75% of island land "voluntarily." Tower construction began in earnest. First construction photos circulated publicly.
Source: RT, Al-Masry Al-Youm, TIMEP
2022–2023—
Escalating pressure
Forced Surveys Attempted — Violent Clashes in 2023
Authorities attempted to conduct forced surveys of homes inside the island (to lower future compensation values). Residents pushed back forcefully. Confrontations escalated into violent clashes in 2023. The building materials ban gradually became comprehensive after a period of partial tolerance.
Source: Mada Masr, Ghad News
2023February
Clashes
February Clashes Following Arrest of Two Residents
Clashes erupted on February 5, 2023 after two eviction resisters were arrested. Forces fired tear gas. Residents chanted: "We're not leaving — we'll die here."
Source: Al Jazeera Mubasher, Al Jazeera Net
Phase 5 Legal Documentation and Live Fire — 2024 to 2025
2024March
Official announcement
Housing Minister: 1,000 Feddans Acquired — 50 Towers Under Construction
Housing Minister Assem Al-Gazzar announced the state had "consensually" acquired 1,000 feddans out of 1,295 (77% of the island). Remaining: ~315 feddans. 50 of a targeted 94 towers are under construction, comprising 2,184 units. However: towers are partially complete but lack utilities, preventing occupancy.
Source: Mada Masr, Al-Masry Al-Youm
2024September
Total siege
Total, Declared Ban on Building Materials via Ferries
In September 2024, security forces imposed a comprehensive, final ban on all building materials entering the island via ferries — ending a period of partial enforcement. The move caused significant congestion and widespread anger. Residents call it "the primary pressure tool" to force them to accept eviction. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms documented arbitrary arrests and excessive force.
Source: Zawia3, Mada Masr, Arabi21
2024October
Clashes + arrests
October Clashes — 8 Residents Arrested + Solidarity Petition Launched
Clashes broke out after eight residents were detained in protest at the siege. Forces used tear gas. On October 11, rights organizations launched an online solidarity petition in support of island families' demands.
Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
2024November
Official statement + prosecution
Cabinet Statement + 10 Residents Referred to Criminal Trial
Cabinet issued a statement asserting: "The state does not confiscate anyone's property — it enforces the law against violators." Simultaneously, the public prosecutor referred 10 residents to criminal trial on charges of resisting authorities — including a lawyer.
Source: State Information Service, Ghad News
2025January
Legal prosecution
18 Merchants Detained for "Supporting Illegal Construction"
State Security Prosecution renewed detention of 18 building materials suppliers from Qalyubiya governorate on charges of "supporting illegal construction" inside the island. Prosecutions now extended to reach the suppliers themselves — a sign of an intensifying siege.
Source: Ghad News
2025February
★ Live fire — critical injuries
Live Rounds Hit Two Young Men Inside a Café — Pressure to Cover It Up
In February 2025, a "Special Forces and Counter-Terrorism" unit raided a café targeting a different individual. Two innocent men were shot with live rounds:

• Mostafa Sayed (18): bullet perforated his abdomen and struck his bladder — three complex surgeries — severe internal damage
• Ahmed Adma (20): serious injuries

Both men were subjected to threats inside the hospital to force them to drop their rights and claim the incident was "a fight between residents." Medical reports were withheld. Officers named: "Mohamed Abu Al-Qasim" and "Alaa Fathi."
Source: Zawia3 (attached report)
Phase 6 "Green Light" — Escalation, 2025 to Present
2025/2026February
Arrest + assault
Sayed Al-Qarmouty Detained — Ashraf Atta, a Person with Disabilities, Beaten
• Sayed Al-Qarmouty detained over protests against the materials ban — later released
• Unprovoked assault on Ashraf Atta (a person with disabilities) as he attempted to bring a sack of cement on his motorcycle at Al-Qulali ferry
• Clashes in the Gazzareen area lasted 5 hours — 5 people detained inside a garage and bound with rope
Source: Mada Masr, Ghad News, Zawia3
202526 March
Clashes + arrests
Shubra-Damanhour Ferry — 12 Arrested + Mohamed Saad, Who Lost His Eye, Attacked Again
Young men attempted to bring building materials via the Shubra-Damanhour ferry. Security forces detained 12 people plus 4 solidarity protesters from Shubra al-Kheima. Forces also stopped Mohamed Saad — a young man who lost his left eye four years earlier during peaceful protests — and assaulted him again.
Source: Zawia3, Diwan Al-Umran, Arabi21
202512 April
★ Gas canisters fired directly at homes
Gas Grenades Launched Directly Into Homes — Mass Suffocation
On the evening of April 12, 2025, forces launched an assault from the Rawda Al-Farag axis lasting over four hours. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms documented:

• Gas canisters fired directly into residential buildings
• Suffocation and loss of consciousness among children and elderly
• Young man Yousef Sammoura severely beaten and humiliated with an officer's boot placed on his head
• Multiple arrests

The Interior Ministry issued no statement on these specific events.
Source: Diwan Al-Umran, Mada Masr, Noon Post
2025ongoing
◉ Current situation
Present: A Reported "Green Light" to Close the File
Sources briefed on the matter told Zawia3 that a "sovereign green light" has been issued to security agencies to intensify pressure and close the Warraq file permanently, driven by pressure from foreign investors and project delays.

What remains: ~315 feddans held by refusing residents
Residents' consistent demand: 300 feddans inside the island for resettlement — consistently refused
State's offer: relocation to units in new cities + 3 years' rent subsidy
Source: Zawia3 (attached report — 2025)
The Legal Standoff
The government relies on Law No. 7 of 1991 (private state property) and Law 144 of 2017 (regularizing squatting). Residents hold documented property deeds dating to the 1940s and cite the 2002 Administrative Court ruling. The Council of State has issued rulings in some residents' favor, but the crisis remains at an impasse. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights and international organizations have questioned whether the state is meeting international standards for voluntary resettlement.
Warraq Island Timeline 1998–2025 | Compiled by Zawia3 Sources: Al-Masry Al-Youm, Al Jazeera, Mada Masr, Diwan Al-Umran, Daraj, TIMEP, Egyptian Commission for Rights, Zawia3