Israel’s Defense Ministry has started construction on an underwater barrier which will stretch from the southern Israeli community of Zikim into the Mediterranean Sea to stave off Hamas infiltration by sea.



According to the head of the Ministry of Defense Engineering and Construction Department, Erez Cohen, the work on the naval barrier is expected to be completed by the end of the year. 





The barrier is made up of three layers including one below the sea level, a layer of armored stone and a third layer in the form of a mound. In addition to the three layers, a fence will surround the breakwater in order to provide a final security measure."This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, which will effectively block the possibility of infiltrating into Israel via the sea, and this will further thwart Hamas' loss of strategic capabilities,” said Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.The decision to build an upgraded naval barrier was decided upon after five Hamas naval commandos, called frogmen, tried to infiltrate Kibbutz Zikim during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, armed with automatic weapons, fragmentation grenades and several types of explosives devices. They were engaged and killed by the IDF in a combined attack from the sea, ground and air.Hamas has significantly expanded their naval commando unit to a reported 1,500 frogmen in the four years since the last conflict, and the new barrier, which has been designed to withstand severe sea conditions and serve the defense establishment for many years, is aimed at preventing similar incidents.The border with Gaza is Israel’s most explosive, and thousands of Palestinians have demonstrated along the Gaza-Israel security fence since March 30. At least 116 have been killed by IDF fire and over 13,000 wounded since the “Great March of Return” began.Palestinians take part in protests for the "Great March of Return" in Gaza (credit: Reuters)In February, a senior naval officer warned that Hamas was increasingly turning to the sea to carry out attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, saying that “Hamas sees potential in the sea like they saw potential in their tunnels.”The Navy has placed more emphasis on training for underwater infiltrations and in 2015, the Navy began deploying dozens of sensors from a new system named "Aqua Shield," which can detect and alert the Navy to suspicious underwater movement. The sensors were placed on the seafloor near Gaza and Lebanon's water borders with Israel.Last April, Israeli authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle some 30 professional-grade scuba gear into the Gaza Strip. The scuba gear, which is believed to have been destined for Hamas frogmen, were hidden in a shipment of sporting gear heading into the coastal enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing.Importing dual-use goods into the Gaza Strip, such as wetsuits, requires a special permit. </s> According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, an underwater barrier which will stretch from the southern Israeli community of Zikim into the Mediterranean Sea, will serve as a blockade to ward off Hamas.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

"This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, which will effectively block the possibility of infiltrating into Israel via the sea, and this will further thwart Hamas' loss of strategic capabilities,” Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was reported by the Jerusalem Post as saying.

At the time, the Israel Defense Forces succeeded in stopping the commandos, but since then Hamas has reportedly expanded their unit to over 1,500 commandos.

In light of that development, the Israeli Navy is now focused on training for underwater infiltrations and in 2015 the navy deployed a new system of underwater sensors called “Aqua Shield.”

The new sensors were placed to alert the Navy of any “suspicious underwater movement”.

The Gaza border continues to remain unstable as thousands of Palestinians have been demonstrating along the Gaza-Israel security fence since March.

Over 116 civilians have been killed and thousands have been wounded, drawing foreign censure. </s> Israel announced Sunday it had begun working on a barrier off the Mediterranean coast to prevent the possibility of infiltrations by sea from the Gaza Strip.



The "new and impenetrable" barrier being built off the Zikim beach, a few kilometers north of Gaza, is in effect a fortified breakwater topped with barbed wire, the defense ministry said in a statement.



In the last Gaza war in 2014, Israeli forces killed four Hamas fighters who had managed to infiltrate by sea.



Israel says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop mass incursions into its territory.

... </s> Jerusalem: Israel Defence Minister on Sunday announced that construction had begun on a marine barrier with the Gaza Strip extending into the Mediterranean Sea. Avigdor Liberman said in a statement that the barrier aimed to prevent any attempts by Palestinians in Gaza to enter Israeli territory through the sea, Efe news reported.

"This is an additional setback for Hamas, which has lost another strategic capability that it has invested massive amounts in developing. We will continue to protect the citizens of Israel with might and sophistication," Liberman said.

The barrier is to consist of three layers, one of which is to be underwater, and is expected to be completed within a year, the statement added.

During Israel`s 2014 assault on Gaza, members of the military wing of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that governs the Gaza Strip, managed to swim to Israeli territory and launch an attack on Israeli army installation before being killed.

Israeli authorities are also constructing an underground barrier beneath the Gaza-Israel boundary to stop Hamas from digging tunnels into Israeli territory.

An independent inquiry into the 2014 war in Gaza by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that "the tunnels were only used to conduct attacks directed at IDF (Israeli army) positions in Israel in the vicinity of the Green Line, which are legitimate military targets." </s> Israel has begun working on an ocean barrier aimed at preventing Palestinians in Gaza from infiltrating its territory, Israeli defence ministry has said.

The barrier, which consists of fortified breakwater topped with barbed wire, is being constructed a few kilometres north of Gaza and is due to be completed by the end of the year.

"This is the only barrier of its kind in the world, which will effectively block the possibility of infiltrating into Israel by sea," Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement on Sunday.

"This is further thwarting Hamas, which will lose another strategic capability [after] investing huge sums in its development."

According to Israeli media, the defence ministry ordered the construction of the barrier in the aftermath of the 2014 war with Gaza and after discovering that Hamas fighters had successfully entered Israel by sea.

The coastal enclave has been the subject of a blockade imposed by Israel and, to a lesser degree, Egypt since 2007 when Hamas took control of the territory.

Israeli naval vessels have made it difficult for Gaza's fishermen to fish beyond a certain point, usually set at six nautical miles or about 11km and have opened fire on Palestinians ships in the past.

An attack targeting an observation post on Sunday killed at least three people, including two fighters from the Islamic Jihad movement.

According to the Islamic Jihad group, two men were part of their armed wing, called the al-Quds Brigades.

Two of those killed were identified as 25-year-old Hussein al-Amour, 28-year-old Abdul Haleem al-Naqa, according to the Palestinian health ministry. A third person, 25-year-old Naseem Marwan al-Amour, succumbed later to his wounds.

A day earlier, Israeli aircraft attacked two targets belonging to the Hamas movement, although no casualties were reported.

More than 118 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since mass protests demanding the right of return began in late March.

Yahiya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, has called for further mass protests on June 5, the anniversary of the end of the 1967 Six Day War, which saw the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem captured by Israel. </s> JERUSALEM, Oct 6 — Israel’s defence minister today ordered a reduction of the fishing zone along the Gaza Strip’s coastline, in retaliation for clashes along the border fence with the Palestinian enclave.

The fishing zone will be reduced to six nautical miles (11 kilometres) from nine nautical miles, a statement by Avigdor Lieberman’s office said.

Restrictions on the extent of fishing zones along the Gaza shoreline form part of Israel’s economic blockade of the Strip, which has been in place for more than a decade.

Under the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, fishermen are supposed to be allowed to operate up to 20 nautical miles off the coast.

Lieberman decided to reduce the fishing zone after violent incidents on Friday along the border between Israel and Gaza, the defence ministry statement said.

Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during protests along the border fence yesterday, while 376 were wounded, including 126 with bullet wounds, Gaza’s health ministry said.

The Israeli army said around 20,000 Palestinians had demonstrated, throwing grenades, explosive devices and stones towards soldiers posted behind the border fence.

Ahead of the latest protests, Lieberman had yesterday issued a warning to Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza.

The defence minister indicated that Israel would step up its retaliation against the protests after the Jewish holiday season, which ended early this week.

“We got through the High Holy days exactly as we had planned, without an eruption ... and while exacting a high price on the rioters along the Gaza border”, he said in a tweet.

“But the holidays are now behind us. I tell the leaders of Hamas: ‘Take that into account’”, he added.

Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March 30 in what they call the “Great March of Return”.

Protesters are demanding an end to the blockade and for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

Yesterday’s protests were bigger than those in recent weeks.

At least 198 Palestinians have been killed since the protests began, while one Israeli soldier has been shot dead over the same period. — AFP </s> Israel has advanced plans to build a floating dock in Greek administered part of Cyprus to receive goods bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.

The plans were reportedly agreed in principle during talks between Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Nicos Anastasiades, president of Greek Cypriot administration.

According to Israeli Channel 2, a panel will be established in two weeks to work out a detained plan to be presented within three months.

The dock will include a system enabling Israel to monitor the movement of goods bound for the Palestinian territory.

“As soon as all the details are closed and ‘locked and loaded,’ we will appeal directly to the public in Gaza,” a senior defense source told the channel.

Israeli media said port building will be conditioned on the release of three Israelis believed to be held by Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, in addition to the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers.

There was no comment from authorities in Israel or Greek Cypriot administration on the report.

The Gaza Strip has been reeling under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of many basic commodities.

Since March, more than 130 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured by Israeli army gunfire during protests demanding an end to the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and lifting of the Gaza blockade. </s> JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the reopening of the Kerem Shalom Crossing to full capacity Wednesday morning, following three days of relative quiet.

Normally, truckloads of goods enter the Gaza Strip every day. Lieberman also extended the fishing zone off Gaza's coast back to nine nautical miles.

Israeli navy patrols keep a close eye on the area, in the past preventing terror attacks and infiltrations. The navy also prevents flotillas from breaking Israel's naval blockade of Gaza (supported under international law) and has turned back passenger boats attempting to set sail from Gaza, also breaching the blockade.

Lieberman told Gaza residents the State of Israel is the solution, not the problem. He said maintaining quiet is in their best interests. He posted a message in Arabic on the COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) Facebook page.

"I differentiate between the Hamas leadership and the regular Gaza residents," YNet news translated the post.

"That is why I've decided to reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing and expand the fishing zone back to nine miles as a clear message to the residents of the Strip. 'Calm pays off and violence does not.' The Gaza residents have something to gain when Israeli citizens enjoy quiet and security, and something to lose when this quiet is broken," Lieberman wrote.

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said the decision rewards terrorism. Hamas will use the quiet as it has in the past to rebuild its terror infrastructure.

"I can't tell you much about the possibility of a ceasefire, but one thing I can tell you with 100 percent certainty is that if a ceasefire is achieved, Hamas will violate it because that's the nature of Hamas," Oren told CBN News. "Hamas is a jihadist terrorist organization that is sworn to kill us, so it is in its DNA to break that ceasefire."

Lieberman closed the crossing in early May after Hamas protesters set fire to the side facing Gaza, in part to repair the damage. Two weeks ago, he banned fuel and gas shipments because of the daily launch of incendiary devices to set fires in Israel. Some 7,500 acres of wheat fields, nature reserves and forests have been destroyed since the demonstrations began on March 30.

Hamas has turned away truckloads of goods for Gaza residents, including medical provisions, in the past. Besides that, Israeli inspectors have confiscated all kinds of weaponry, explosives materials and similar products designated for the Hamas military infrastructure. </s> JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed an attack tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip, through Israel and into Egypt, and that ran past Israeli military posts as well as gas and fuel pipelines.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza’s main point of entry for humanitarian aid.

He said Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated “tools” destroyed the rest. Conricus said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible. The crossing has been closed until further notice.

Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since its 2014 war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population.

Sunday’s operation marked the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months. But Conricus said this did not mark “more of the same” since it involved the most advanced technological means Israel has deployed.

“(We) now hold a method, an organized system to destroy terror tunnels dug into Israel,” he said in an early morning briefing to reporters. “This is a key mission for us and our intention is to allow quiet and to deter Hamas so we can continue to build the obstacle.”

Hamas initially said a typical smuggling tunnel was destroyed, but had no immediate response to the Israeli announcement. There were no casualties in the Israeli airstrike. The demolition of a tunnel belonging to the Islamic Jihad militant group in November killed a dozen militants.

Speaking from India, where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the significance of the operation. “We are systematically destroying Hamas’ and Islamic Jihad’s tunnel infrastructure. Let them not mess with us,” he said.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the tunnel’s construction was a clear violation of Israeli sovereignty and destroying it delivered a stinging blow to one of Hamas’ most significant assets. “The message to Gaza’s leadership and residents is clear — invest in the sanctity of life and not these burial tunnels,” he said.

Conricus, the military spokesman, noted that the tunnel’s route stretched underneath the Kerem Shalom crossing, where 15 million tons of food, clothing, construction material and other essential goods had been transferred into Gaza since the 2014 war. Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power in 2007.

Conricus said the crossing itself was a potential target, as well as the gas and fuel pipelines. The tunnel could have also been used to transfer militants and arms for attacks in Israel or Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, he said.

“It was a terror tunnel designed to strike strategic Israel assets,” he said.

He didn’t specify which tools were used, but in the past Israel has said its new system involves combat units, military intelligence, logistics and research to destroy the tunnels. The military released photos and video of a wide tunnel with concrete paneled walls.
Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman says that Israel has started building an "unique obstacle" along the Zikim beach, a three-story-high kind of breakwater designed to cut off the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip from access to Israel by the sea. The "impenetrable" structure made of stone and fence is expected to be completed before the end of this year.