Israel will build barrier along its southern border with Egypt to stop illegal crossings, the prime minister said.
"I
decided to close Israel's southern border to infiltrators and
terrorists after prolonged discussions with government ministries and
professional elements," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a
statement late Sunday.
"This is a strategic decision to ensure the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel.
"Israel
will remain open to war refugees, but we cannot allow thousands of
illegal workers to infiltrate into Israel via the southern border and
flood our country," he added.
Israeli police estimate that 100
to 200 people infiltrate Israeli's 210-kilometer (130-mile) southern
border weekly. Israel's Hotline for Migrant Workers, a group that
promotes the rights of undocumented workers, puts the number at "a few
thousand" a year.
Ninety percent of those crossing the border
illegally are refugees from northern Africa, the group said. The rest
are thought to be migrant workers or traffickers of drugs and women.
Construction of the barrier with Egypt
is expected to take several years, according to the prime minister's
office. No start date has been announced. The estimated cost of the
project is 1 billion shekels (about $269 million).
The fence
will be built in two sections. One will begin near Rafah and run south,
while the other will start near the resort town of Eilat and go north.
The barrier will not cover difficult terrain in the middle that already
discourages border crossings.
Israel has already built a
controversial barrier separating the West Bank from the Jewish state.
Construction was begun by Israel in 2002 in the stated attempt to stem
the tide of Palestinian suicide bombing attacks that became a frequent
and deadly occurrence in Israel during the course of the second
intifada which began in September 2000.
The barrier is
currently over 400 km (248.5 miles) in length and is comprised of
20-foot sections of concrete wall in more densely populated areas and
large barbed wire fencing in rural sections. Construction of the full
700-plus kilometers (435-plus miles) of the barrier has stalled
considerably in the last two years as a result of court challenges and
budgetary issues.
Last July the U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay urged Israel to
"dismantle" the barrier and "make reparation for all damage suffered by
all persons affected by the wall's construction" on Palestinian land.
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