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Israel to complete security barrier around Gaza
Israel’s Defence Ministry announced yesterday that it will start work on the ground level security barrier around Gaza on Thursday.
The barrier above the ground will run along the same route as the underground barrier, of which 29 kilometres (around half) has been built and which is estimated will require a further year to finish. The above ground barrier will be 65 km long and six meters high. At its north-western edge, the above ground barrier will join the new maritime barrier that has been built near Zikim beach, and it will run to the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet yesterday: “The barrier will prevent terrorists from Gaza from penetrating into our territory on the ground. I would also like to make it clear: If the quiet is not maintained in Gaza, we will make the decisions even in the elections period and will not hesitate to act.”
The new barrier will be fitted with innovative security components, and will be reinforced with 20,000 tons of galvanised steel. Security officials said they anticipated that the new barrier would prevent any possibility of infiltrating Israeli territory.
Five Palestinians were detained by Israeli security forces on the Gaza border yesterday after they tried to infiltrate into Israel. On Friday, for the 45th consecutive week, thousands of Palestinians rioted along the Gaza border, throwing explosives, hand grenades and rocks at Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers. Palestinian media reported that 32 people were injured by IDF fire.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported over the weekend that Hamas, the UN envoy to the Middle East, and Egyptian intelligence officials met on Friday and agreed to maintain quiet on the Israel-Gaza border. Despite the violence on Friday, Israel recognised that Hamas did prevent rioters from trying to break through the border fence and cross into Israel.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad yesterday released footage of a sniper shooting an IDF officer in the head on the Gaza border two weeks ago.