First look at infiltrators holding facility
Clinics, playground, classrooms and even basketball court are just some of the features the Defense Ministry plans on including in southern facility
The facility, which will be able to hold thousands of illegal infiltrators who cross the border between Israel and Egypt, is set to be built on the ruins of the old Ketziot military base. Bulldozers and trucks have already begun to clear away any remnants of the base.
Related stories:
- IDF presents new southern border defense vision
- Government looking to expand deportation scheme
Gov't to mull infiltrator detention facility
Each of the facility's residents will be allocated four and a half square meters of living space in a way that will enable them to put a desk, table or couch. The facility, which will span 185 acres (750 dunams), will also have an office specifically for the infiltrators' lawyers and room for hearings that will be held on site.
Basketball court (Imagery:Thomas Leitersdorf Architects)
The facility will also include clinics, emergency care centers, dental care and specialist clinics. Dining rooms, a kiosk, classrooms, after hours recreational club and even a library – they are all included in the plans along with a prayer room, playground and sports facilities like basketball court.
Gardens and fences (Imagery:Thomas Leitersdorf Architects)
Due to the facility's proximity to the Gaza Strip it will also include fortified spaces for rocket attacks. The facility will be enclosed by a fence with security cameras throughout, and upon completion will be put under the operational authority maintenance of the Prison Service.
In the first stage, the facility will be able to inhabit 3,000 people and upon completion, the numbers will reach 11,000. The facility will be constructed in a manner which will enable easy dismantling for other uses. The infiltrators will be held in the facility until a decision on whether to send them back to their countries of origin is reached.
The mens' living quarters (Imagery:Thomas Leitersdorf Architects)
"We examined many different countries in Europe like Holland, Italy and Germany in order to plan how to construct the facility in a manner fitting with the residents' lifestyles," Defense Ministry official Bezalel Treiber told Ynet.
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
