Israel Builds Underwater Barricade on Gaza Border
We all hope there is a lasting peace in the Middle East, especially between Israel's border with Palestine.
Israel built an underwater barricade on the Gaza border
Israel built an underwater barricade on the Gaza border. This barricade consists of three layers, including one below the surface of the sea, a layer of rock-coated steel and a third layer in the form of a mound.
According to Israel's Defense Ministry, an underwater barrier that will stretch from Zikim's southern Israeli community to the Mediterranean Sea will serve as a blockade to fend off Hamas attacks. This construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
"This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, which would effectively block the possibility of infiltration into Israel by sea, and this would further hinder the loss of strategic capabilities of Hamas,".
The decision to build such a fortress came after five Hamas naval commanders allegedly tried to enter the Israeli Kibbutz Zikim community in 2014. They were carrying weapons and explosives.
At that time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) managed to stop the Hamas commandos. But since then Hamas has reportedly expanded its unit to more than 1,500 commandos.
Given that development, the Israeli Navy is now focusing on training for underwater infiltration and by 2015 the navy is deploying a new system of underwater sensors called "Aqua Shield."
New sensors are stationed to give the Israeli Navy an air of any suspicious underwater movement.
The Gaza border continues to be in an unstable situation as thousands of Palestinians demonstrate along the Gaza-Israel security fence since March. More than 116 Palestinian civilians have been killed and thousands injured, drawing international condemnation.
