Israel builds sea barrier off Gaza Coast
6/17/2005 6:00:00 PM GMT
Israel is building a sea barrier off the coast of northern Gaza
The Israeli navy is building an underwater barrier off the coast of northern Gaza, an Israeli newspaper revealed on Friday.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the barrier, part concrete and part floating fence, would stretch 950 meters into the Mediterranean Sea.
Israeli officials claim that the goal of the barrier is to stop Palestinian fighters from attacking Israel by sea after the implementation of the disengagement plan.
The Israeli army refused to comment on the report, which stated that the construction of the underwater barrier had already begun.
However, the report said that the barrier isn’t expected to be complete in time for the Gaza withdrawal, set to begin in mind-August.
The Jerusalem Post also quoted Israeli officials as saying that the sea barrier is crucial due to the expected loss of surveillance posts in the planned pullout from the Gaza Strip.
According to the withdrawal plan, Israel is expected to pull out from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip as well as four other enclaves in the northern West Bank.
The newspaper also reported that the first 150 meters of the barrier will consist of cement pilings buried into the seabed. It added that the barrier will extend another 800 meters in the form of 1.8-yard-deep fence floating beneath the surface.
Israel has demarcated its sensitive northern border with Lebanon with a series of buoys which stretches 4.2 km out to sea. This is monitored by radar posts, and the Jerusalem Post said Israel plans to deploy similar facilities off Gaza.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat reacted angrily to the report. "I hope the Israeli mentality of barriers will end," he said. "Now they have land barriers and tomorrow sea barriers and the day after sky barriers and what else? Will they put a barrier around each Palestinian individual or house?"
"This is the wrong policy. This is political blindness," said Erekat. "The answer to all these woes of security and so on in is a meaningful peace process, is building the bridges with the Palestinians, is ending the occupation."
Israel is already facing international criticism due to the separation barrier it is building in the West Bank, which will eventually extend 600 kilometers, cutting into the occupied territories and disrupting the lives of the Palestinians.
Israel claims that the West Bank barrier is for security reasons, but the Palestinians believe it is aimed at grabbing more of the land they need for their future state.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military closed the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and the main Erez crossing into northern Gaza, claiming that it has received information warning of Palestinian attacks.
“They have been closed due to a high security alert,” an Israeli military official said on Friday.
Al Jazeera
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