BICOM

Israel has begun construction of a fence along its eastern border with Jordan.

This is part of the country’s plan to respond to the threat of terrorism and prevent the entering of illegal immigrants. The first stage of construction began yesterday and includes a 30-kilometre fence is that will connect Eilat and the Samar sand dunes located to the north of Timna in the Arava Desert. The first leg of the project will cost some NIS 300 million (approx. £50 million) and will take one year to complete. It will include an advanced fence based on the barrier that runs along the borders both with Egypt and Syria in the Golan Heights, and will be equipped with lookout towers, operations rooms and advanced surveillance.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the section of the fence where work has begun yesterday together with Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, Transportation and Road Safety Minister Yisrael Katz, IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan, GOC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Sammy Turgeman, and other officials. The prime minister said: “Today we see what is happening to countries that have lost control of their borders. The combination of very brutal terrorism, labour migrants, smugglers and the loss of control in the face of the human tragedy that is taking place 360 degrees, says that we must restore control and ensure Israel’s control of its borders, almost 360 degrees, because – of course – we also have a maritime border, and this is what we are doing.”