MOD Fence Administration Completes the Heightening of the Israel- Egypt
Border Fence
(Communicated by the Ministry of Defense)

Video:
https://youtu.be/OAzRzh6s10M
Video Credit: Ministry of Defense Fence Administration

The Fence Administration headed by Brigadier General Eran Ofir, and the
Department of Engineering and Construction at the Ministry of Defense,
recently completed a project to heighten the Israel-Egypt border fence. The
construction of the barrier, known as the Hourglass Project, was completed
in 2014.

The 242 kilometer fence, equipped with warning systems and information
collection centers, was built between Kerem Shalom and Eilat and
subsequently brought to a stop the flow of illegal migration from Africa
into Israel. In 2015, smugglers from Sinai succeeded in partially overcoming
certain areas of the barrier and the number of infiltrators suspended by
security officials on the Israeli side of the fence rose to 213.

Due to the increased number of infiltration attempts, the Ministry of
Defense and the IDF decided to increase the height of the fence as a way to
prevent future illegal crossings. The project was assigned to the Fence
Administration, under the command of Brig. Gen. Eran Ofir who is responsible
for the construction and maintenance of each of the country's border fences,
and the Ministry of Defense Department of Engineering and Construction. In
recent months, 17 km of the fence were elevated from 5 meters to 8 meters in
height, and additional technological devices were added in order to uncover
smuggling routes from Sinai into Israel.

The project, completed over the last few days, has already significantly
curbed the flow of illegal infiltration into Israel, with only 11 successful
attempts to cross the fence throughout 2016.