Israelis living in the “Gaza Envelope” criticized the military’s building of a defensive wall over the last few days to allow the return of train service in the region, saying it doesn’t square with the army’s repeated promises to create a new security reality post-Oct. 7, 2023.
Video shows work on a concrete wall being carried out in the Sderot area. It will protect against anti-tank missiles.
A resident of the Gaza Envelope, who lost her son during the Hamas attack, told Channel 12: “As soon as I saw the wall, I realized that nothing has changed and will not change here. We went back to October 6, and that’s a tough feeling.
“If walls are built, the concept of security has not changed. We continue to defend ourselves as if nothing happened. We were neglected then and we are being neglected now,” she said.
Yarin Sultan, who started the Otef Israel [“Israel Envelope”] Forum, a group created to influence policymakers, condemned the wall and what it represents.
“Another link in the chain of failures of conception. The state continues to cling to outdated approaches, which are cosmetic treatment and do not provide real security for the residents of the south.
“Walls did not stop the [Hamas] Nuhkba [Force] terrorists from penetrating through them and slaughtering children and the elderly and raping women. So why will they succeed this time?” she asked.
“Sderot is a symbol of national resilience, and the state must behave responsibly toward its residents. We demand a fundamental solution that radiates power and determination, and not walls that hide the problem and do not solve it once and for all,” Sultan said.
The IDF responded that it is carrying out by a variety of means the safe return of the train system, an “important strategic national infrastructure and a central element in the process of restoring the Western Negev.”
The walls strengthen a defensive layer to allow safe travel by train, the IDF said, adding, “The IDF is working and will continue to work for the safe return of the residents to their homes.”
