stephanie deck kerr, al jazeera, beirut. >> now hundreds of egyptians living in northern sinai are being forced to leave their homes for a planned buffer zone. their houses will be demolished to create a protective area between egypt and the gaza strip. egypt said its designed to stop attackers from getting into northern sinai. >> they've been leaving with whatever they can carry. abandoning homes and livelihoods with what they say is no hope of returning. they are some of the hundreds of people who live within 300 meters of the border crossing. the egyptian government said it's to become a buffer zone, a strip to protect the north sinai border and to keep attackers and weapons out. the buffer zone will expand to 500 meters right along the entire 4-kilometer border, and include water-filled trenches to keep people from building tunnels. >> around 600 houses have been evacuated so far, but still there are some families refusing to leave. they say it's better for them to die in their homes. the army has threatened to destroy houses even if the families haven't left. >> the decision to forc