The anti-tunnel barrier along Israel-Gaza Strip border (sometimes referred to as the smart wall on the Israel-Gaza Strip border) is an underground
slurry wall constructed by
Israel along the entire length of the
Israel-Gaza Strip border to prevent anti-Israel militant groups operating in the Gaza Strip, especially
Hamas (which Israel, along with other countries, regards as a terrorist group), from infiltration into Israel by digging
tunnels under the
Gaza–Israel barrier. The project includes
excavation
Excavation may refer to:
* Excavation (archaeology)
* Excavation (medicine)
* ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013
* ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000
* ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins
* '' Excavation: A Memo ...
to classified depths, and the construction of thick
concrete walls combined with sensors and
alarm devices.
The underground anti-tunnel barrier, and 81% of the barrier above the ground was completed in March 2021. The whole project was completed in December 2021. The project had been estimated to cost 3 billion
shekels ($833 million) to 3.5 billion shekels ($1.11 billion). It is located entirely on Israeli land.
Background
Because of the effectiveness of the
Israel–Gaza barrier in stopping infiltration of Israel by Palestinian militants, Hamas adopted a strategy of digging tunnels under the barrier. On 25 June 2006, Palestinians used an 800-metre tunnel dug over a period of months to infiltrate Israel. They attacked a patrolling Israeli armored unit, killed two Israeli soldiers, and captured another one,
Gilad Shalit.
Between January and October 2013, three other tunnels were identified – two of which were packed with explosives.
During the
2014 Gaza War
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge ( he, מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, translit=Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, ),
was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that h ...
, Israel encountered Hamas militants who emerged from tunnels into Israel and attacked soldiers along the border. After the war, Israel located and destroyed 32 tunnels. In 2018, Israel destroyed three new tunnels.
Underground barrier
The anti-tunnel barrier was constructed in response to the large number of tunnels being dug by the Hamas regime, which could only be of use for infiltration by militants. In mid-2017, Israel began construction of the underground wall several meters in depth. The barrier is equipped with sensors that can detect tunnel construction.
In October 2020, sensors in the underground structure identified a Hamas tunnel. An Israeli military official called the tunnel "The most significant tunnel we have seen to date, both in terms of depth and infrastructure".
See also
*
Gaza–Israel barrier
References
{{coord missing, Israel
Gaza Strip
Border barriers
Tunnel warfare
Gaza–Israel conflict
Borders of Israel
Israel–Gaza Strip border