RAFAH, Egypt — The death sentences issued June 16 against former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and 90 Muslim Brotherhood members raised the concerns of political parties on the continued violence in the Sinai Peninsula, with the possibility of this violence expanding across Egypt.

A sheikh from the Sawarka tribe, one of the largest tribes in Sinai, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Morsi’s death sentence will adversely affect Sinai. He said that the innocent people of Sinai will pay the price of the continued power struggle between the Egyptian army and the Brotherhood. According to the sheikh, the death sentences will translate into armed violence in Sinai.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which is loyal to the Islamic State (IS) and goes by the name of Wilayat Sinai, is involved in the current armed violence. However, the sheikh does not separate between this terrorist group and the Muslim Brotherhood.

“One cannot separate the Brotherhood from IS; the conflict began in Sinai when President Morsi was ousted, and ever since we have been paying the price of political conflicts that we have nothing to do with. The more violence and power struggles, the more extremist the Brotherhood’s youths become … [they] turn into human resources used by IS for its operations in Sinai. [This situation] may expand to all of Egypt, especially when new cells loyal to IS will emerge from the Brotherhood youths who resent the army’s violent actions toward them and their leadership — ever since the Brotherhood-affiliated president was isolated,” the sheikh said.