Israel Begins Construction of New Gaza Border Barrier

“Over the weekend we began building the aboveground barrier along the Gaza border,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the weekly Cabinet meeting, AFP reported.

The barrier, set to stand 6 meters off the ground, “will prevent terrorists from Gaza from penetrating into our territory on the ground,” he said in Hebrew.

Netanyahu gave no further details but a Defense Ministry statement said that work on the structure began last Thursday.

It is set to follow the 65-kilometer course of an underground barrier that is also under construction meant to neutralize the threat of cross-border tunnels.

At its western end, the statement said, the aboveground barrier would join a fortified sea wall jutting into the Mediterranean, aimed at blocking potential Palestinian attacks by water.

“It’s massive and especially strong,” the ministry said in an accompanying video clip.

Palestinians have for nearly a year, gathered at least weekly along the Gaza border for protests.

They want to be able to return to the homes their families forced to flee by Israel in 1948 and are calling for an end to the regime’s blockade of Gaza.

At least 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since March 30, the majority during border protests but also by tank fire and airstrikes.

Message end/