Second fence to be built around Gaza
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Arieh O'Sullivan, THE JERUSALEM POST Dec. 22, 2004--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Defense Ministry plans to erect a second security fence around the Gaza Strip as double protection from infiltrators.
But local leaders expressed their wariness over the move Tuesday, saying the defense establishment was not coordinating with them adequately and complaining that the route would pass too close to existing communities.
With the pullout date under the disengagement plan set for early July, the IDF has to redeploy the Gaza Divisional headquarters as well as the command bases of three regional brigades. These are expected to be transferred to the immediate border area around the coastal strip. The army also wants to set up obstacles east of the border fence to help it prevent infiltrations.
The work has yet to begin and is still in the planning stages.
"We don't know exactly where any of this will pass," said Alon Schuster, head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.
"We don't want a situation whereby things are done without full coordination with us. There could be problem of agreeing on the route of the fence or the roads or placement of the bases. These have to be decided upon in an orderly way at the highest levels," Schuster told The Jerusalem Post.
Shmulik Rifman, chairman of the Heads of Regional Councils and head of the Ramat Hanegev council, raised the matter in a meeting with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Tuesday.
"We have a problem with the regional councils circling the Gaza Strip. These are Sha'ar Hanegev, Eshkol, Azzata and Hof Ashkelon," Rifman acknowledged.
"The IDF has started to deploy for the disengagement on both sides of the Green Line," Rifman said. "It's not simple. It's complicated. The IDF plans to erect a second fence in addition to the one existing now, but the route is still not clear.
"It will be inside Israel.... I'm not sure another fence is necessary. But the IDF wants to be sure that, even if someone gets through the first fence, it will have an area of operations between the two fences and not allow the infiltrators to get in.
"The [proposed] route of the fence butts up against and in some cases goes inside existing settlements such as Nahal Oz. So there's a problem here," Rifman said.
He said that there are also concerns that farmers would not have proper access to their fields along the border. The placement of the bases is another headache.
"Understandings have not yet been reached, so the heads of the regional councils in this area are anxious until they see the whole picture," he said.
Mofaz assured the regional council heads that no moves will be made without consulting them.
"The issues of the physical barriers surrounding Gaza will be coordinated. It is inconceivable that it wouldn't be," Mofaz informed them.
"We have only approved it recently.... All these places where IDF bases will be set up will be coordinated with the regional councils," he said.