Jerusalem – Israel Builds World First Marine Barrier On The Gaza Border

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    FILE - Israeli military boats seen from the sea shore of the central city of Tel Aviv, on their way to the south, on the 4th day of Operation Protective Edge, July 11, 2014. Flash90Jerusalem – Israel’s Defense Ministry has started construction on an underwater barrier which will stretch from the southern Israeli community of Zikim into the Mediterranean Sea to stave off Hamas infiltration by sea.

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    According to the head of the Ministry of Defense Engineering and Construction Department, Erez Cohen, the work on the naval barrier is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

    The barrier is made up of three layers including one below the sea level, a layer of armored stone and a third layer in the form of a mound. In addition to the three layers, a fence will surround the breakwater in order to provide a final security measure.

    “This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, which will effectively block the possibility of infiltrating into Israel via the sea, and this will further thwart Hamas’ loss of strategic capabilities,” said Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

    The decision to build an upgraded naval barrier was decided upon after five Hamas naval commandos, called frogmen, tried to infiltrate Kibbutz Zikim during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, armed with automatic weapons, fragmentation grenades and several types of explosives devices. They were engaged and killed by the IDF in a combined attack from the sea, ground and air.

    Hamas has significantly expanded their naval commando unit to a reported 1,500 frogmen in the four years since the last conflict, and the new barrier, which has been designed to withstand severe sea conditions and serve the defense establishment for many years, is aimed at preventing similar incidents.

    The border with Gaza is Israel’s most explosive, and thousands of Palestinians have demonstrated along the Gaza-Israel security fence since March 30. At least 116 have been killed by IDF fire and over 13,000 wounded since the “Great March of Return” began.

    In February, a senior naval officer warned that Hamas was increasingly turning to the sea to carry out attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, saying that “Hamas sees potential in the sea like they saw potential in their tunnels.”

    The Navy has placed more emphasis on training for underwater infiltrations and in 2015, the Navy began deploying dozens of sensors from a new system named “Aqua Shield,” which can detect and alert the Navy to suspicious underwater movement. The sensors were placed on the seafloor near Gaza and Lebanon’s water borders with Israel.

    Last April, Israeli authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle some 30 professional-grade scuba gear into the Gaza Strip. The scuba gear, which is believed to have been destined for Hamas frogmen, were hidden in a shipment of sporting gear heading into the coastal enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

    Importing dual-use goods into the Gaza Strip, such as wetsuits, requires a special permit.


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    5 years ago

    Just wait for the (anti Semitic) world outcry!