Illustrative: Trains are seen near the city of Sderot on July 15, 2018. (Gili Yaari/Flash90)
Following the latest round of violence along the Gaza Strip border, authorities will expedite construction of a protective wall to shield trains traveling near the border from attack, Channel 12 news reported Monday.
Representatives of the Defense, Finance and Transportation ministries met at the Prime Minister’s Office Monday and agreed to move forward with the project, estimated to cost NIS 100 million ($28 million), once a new government is formed.
The protective wall for trains traveling to Sderot had previously been approved, but budgetary issues had delayed its construction.
Channel 12 reported that plans have also been drawn to protect roads in the area from anti-tank missile fire.
Moshe Feder (c), who was killed after his car was struck with a Gaza rocket near the southern town of Sderot on May 5, 2019. (Courtesy)
Several kilometers of road will be defended with walls, ramps and trees that will obscure attackers’ view of potential targets.
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During the last round of fighting on May 5, 68-year-old Moshe Feder was killed when an anti-tank guided missile fired from the enclave struck his car.
Anti-tank missiles have been used by terror groups in Gaza in cross-border attacks in the past, and have killed and wounded both soldiers and civilians.
The car that was hit by a missile fired from the Gaza Strip near the Israeli-Gaza border on May 5, 2019. (Noam Rivkin Fenton/Flash90)
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