Palestinians confront Israeli forces as tear gas are shot during a demonstration along the border between Israel and the Gaza strip, east of Gaza City, on May 25, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Mohammed ABED / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by MOHAMMED ABED has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Gaza city] instead of [Khan Yunis]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.
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 kilometres (miles) north of Gaza, is in effect a fortified breakwater topped with barbed wire, the defence ministry said in a statement.
In the last Gaza war in 2014, Israeli forces killed four Hamas militants who had managed to infiltrate by sea.
The ministry said the breakwater — the first of its kind in the world — was expected to be ready by the end of 2018.
“This is a unique obstacle that will effectively prevent the possibility of penetrating Israel by sea,” Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement.
“This is another blow to Hamas, which will lose yet another strategic ability in which it invested vast amounts of money,” he added, in reference to the Islamist movement that controls Gaza.
No other details on the project were provided.
Israel is meanwhile continuing the revamp of its border fence with the besieged enclave — reinforcements include a new massive underground barrier meant to neutralise the threat of tunnels.
The announcement of the sea wall comes after weeks of tensions on the Gaza border.
At least 119 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip since mass protests and clashes broke out on March 30, according to figures from the Gazan health ministry.
No Israelis have been killed in the clashes.
Low-level demonstrations along the border have continued since protests peaked on May 14, when at least 61 Palestinians were killed as tens of thousands of Gazans protested the US transfer of its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Israel says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop mass incursions into its territory.
It accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
