Army says 'No' to Gaza fence
Photo: Dan Balilti
No money for Gaza fence
Planned fence was designed to serve as additional obstacle aimed at preventing terrorists from infiltrating Israel following pullout. IDF says no funds for barrier, plans to boost patrols instead
GAZA – Southern Israel residents have yet another cause for concern.
The IDF says it will not build a security fence around the Gaza Strip in addition to the existing fence due to budgetary constraints.
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The current fence surrounds the Gaza Strip but in recent months dozens of Palestinians were able to cross it en route to Israel, mostly in a bid to secure employment.
The new fence was designed to be built on Israeli territory in its entirety and would have required the government to compensate Israeli farmers whose land would have been expropriated in the framework of the project.
However, once officials realized the total cost of building the fence and offering a compensation package could skyrocket to NIS 100-200 million (approximately USD 22-44 million,) the army decided to forego the plan.
‘We deserve security’
Meanwhile, a senior IDF officer vowed to boost security around Gaza, possibly by paving a new road around the existing fence and boosting patrols in the area.
Yet despite the army reassurances, local residents are not feeling secure. The decision is tantamount to abandoning area residents, Shaar Hanegev Council Head Alon Shuster said.
“We deserve security,” he said. “It’s hard to avoid the feeling this is an attempt to lower the amount of compensation farmers deserve.”
The IDF Spokesperson’s Office confirmed the army is reconsidering the plan to build an extra fence and may premise post-pullout security operations in the area on the existing “smart fence,” which is backed by advanced technological means.
