Construction work on Israel’s eastern security barrier along the border with Jordan has begun, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.
The initial stage will focus on the Beit She’an, Jezreel and Jordan Valleys, constructing the first two sections of the new barrier that will span roughly 50 miles, the ministry said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, “The new barrier will strengthen the communities along the border, significantly reduce weapons smuggling to terrorists in Judea and Samaria, and deal a heavy blow to Iran and its proxies’ efforts to establish an eastern front against the State of Israel.”
He went on to say that he instructed establishing outposts manned by the Nahal Infantry Brigade, which will form a “strategic component of our national security.”
According to the Defense Ministry, establishing strategic control along Israel’s eastern border is a “central component” of the ministry’s strategy, advanced by its director-general, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram.
“This effort is integrated into a renewed security concept developed by the IDF and the Central Command, within which a new regional division has been established, responsible for the security of the Jordan Valley, the valleys region, and the Dead Sea area,” the statement read.
Baram was quoted as saying that the eastern border is Israel’s longest, stretching about 310 miles, and that defending it is a “complex mission” that begins with a physical barrier and reorganizing IDF forces—“but does not end there.”
He remarked that the strategy is to form a “complete ecosystem of settlement, employment, transportation, water, agriculture, health, and more” along the eastern border.
The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $1.71 billion, including the construction of a multilayered security system along the border—from the southern Golan Heights to the Samar sands north of Eilat.
In November, Israeli government officials toured the country’s border with Jordan as part of efforts to strengthen security and support local communities.
The high-level team, led by Baram, Acting Prime Minister’s Office Director General Drorit Steinmetz and Settlement Division Director General Avi Meir, is tasked with drafting a five-year plan to expand settlements and strengthen Israel’s presence along the strategic border.
The plan, expected to be submitted for Cabinet approval in early January, aims to establish a coordinated government strategy to upgrade the border region.
