The Sinai insurgency was an insurgency campaign in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt launched by Islamist militants against Egyptian security forces, which also included attacks on civilians. The insurgency began during the Egyptian Crisis, during which the longtime Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

The campaign initially consisted of militants, mainly local Bedouin tribesmen, who exploited the chaotic situation in Egypt to launch a series of attacks on government forces in Sinai. In 2014, members of the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS) and proclaimed themselves Sinai Province, with some security officials stating that militants based in Libya established ties with the Sinai Province group and blaming the porous border and ongoing civil war for the increase in sophisticated weapons available to the Islamist groups.

Egyptian authorities attempted to restore their presence in the Sinai through both political and military measures. The country launched two military operations, known as Operation Eagle in mid-2011 and Operation Sinai in mid-2012. In May 2013, after the abduction of Egyptian officers, violence in Sinai resurged. Following the overthrow in July 2013 of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, "unprecedented clashes" occurred.

Hundreds of homes were demolished and thousands of residents were evacuated as Egyptian troops built a buffer zone to halt the smuggling of weapons and militants to and from the Gaza Strip. A report compiled by a delegation from the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) stated that the displaced families were suffering due to government negligence, unavailability of nearby schools, and a lack of health services. From the start of the conflict, dozens of civilians were killed, either in military operations or kidnapped, and then beheaded by militants. In November 2017, more than 300 Sufist worshippers were killed and over 100 injured in a terrorist attack on a mosque west of the city of Al-Arish.

The Sinai Peninsula has long been known for its lawlessness. Historically, it has served as a route for the smuggling of weapons and supplies. Security provisions in the Egypt–Israel peace treaty of 1979 mandated a diminished security presence in the area, enabling militants to operate with a freer hand.

Moreover, the inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula have expressed grievances regarding their economic marginalization for several decades. This sentiment is exacerbated by perceived injustices, particularly concerning the inequitable distribution of revenues from the tourism sector. The seaside resorts of South Sinai currently represent the peninsula's sole economic assets. However, according to various accounts, the local population derives minimal benefit from this economic activity, as the central authorities in Cairo reportedly reserve land acquisition and employment opportunities for migrants from the Nile Delta. Also, the limited government-directed investment and development in Sinai has discriminated against the local Bedouin population, which values tribal allegiance over all else. The combination of Sinai's harsh terrain and its lack of resources have kept the area poor and ripe for militancy.

Following the January 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime, the country became increasingly destabilized, creating a security vacuum in the Sinai Peninsula. Radical Islamic elements in Sinai exploited the opportunity to launch several waves of attacks against Egyptian military and commercial facilities.

According to The Economist, the conflict also involves local armed Bedouins "who have long-standing grievances against the central government in Cairo" and that "they are barred from joining the army or police; they find it hard to get jobs in tourism; and they complain that many of their lands have been taken from them".