Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated media outlets, based in Turkey and Qatar, painted a different picture. They argued that the "Karmouz War" was a state fabrication designed to crush dissent. Some claimed the police had entered the wrong house and massacred civilians, a narrative largely unsupported by forensic evidence. Human rights groups, however, did criticize the post-war roundups, documenting at least 26 cases of torture in detention following the Karmouz incident.
By mid-2018, Egypt was under a state of emergency. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had been re-elected earlier that year with 97% of the vote, but the security landscape was grim. The Sinai insurgency had claimed hundreds of soldiers and policemen. In response, the state had adopted a zero-tolerance policy for armed groups, often translating into aggressive raids in mainland cities like Alexandria, Giza, and Qalyubia. karmouz war 2018