Hamas Breaks Israel's ‘Iron Wall': Turbulent Regional Sign
Israeli-Palestinian tensions have reached a critical point with a recent unexpected move by Hamas, which fired thousands of rockets into Israel and conducted a multi-pronged incursion into Israeli territory. This event has come to symbolize the ongoing historical tensions, the prolonged Israeli occupation, recurring acts of violence by Hamas, and the deteriorating political situation on both sides of the conflict.
One particular image circulating on social media captures the essence of this moment: a bulldozer tearing down a section of the fence that has long separated the Gaza Strip from the rest of Israel.
In a surprising attack on Saturday, Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel by land, sea, and even air, while launching a barrage of rockets. The conflict has already claimed the lives of over 1,000 people on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest confrontations in Israel's history, with 700 casualties in Israel alone.
“This marks the first instance since 1948 that any Palestinian militant group has gained territorial control within Israel's borders. This symbolic victory and the setback for Israel will have far-reaching consequences throughout the region,” said Professor Clive Jones, the director of the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (IMEIS) at Durham University.
Hamas, which has been labeled a terrorist organization by several mainly Western countries, has effectively governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. In response, Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza, which includes a sophisticated border fence.
The origins of this “security fence” trace back to 1994, following the signing of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel constructed a 60-kilometer fence along its border with the eastern Palestinian enclave. While it was completed in 1996, it did not represent a solid barrier.
In 2005, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel disengaged from Gaza, withdrawing its troops and dismantling the one-kilometer buffer zone that the Israeli Defense Forces had maintained since Gazans tore down the initial fence in 2000.
A new fortified fence, located several dozen meters east of the original one and entirely within Israeli territory, was designed. Today, this 65-kilometer barrier comprises several components: a 6-meter high “smart” above-ground fence equipped with maritime sections monitored by sensors to detect water-based incursions, and an underground wall of classified depth and thickness, equipped with sensors to detect any tunneling attempts (as Hamas had used tunnels to surprise Israeli troops in a 2014 conflict).
The overground barrier, constituting 81% of the fence, is complemented by a complex network of cameras, radar systems, and command and control rooms. The construction of the underground wall, which consumed 140,000 metric tons of iron and steel and took three and a half years to complete, cost an estimated $1.11 billion.
“The barrier, an innovative and technologically advanced project, nullifies one of the capabilities Hamas had sought to develop,” remarked former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz in 2021 following its completion. “It places an ‘iron wall,' equipped with sensors and concrete, between the terrorist organization and the residents of Israel's southern region.” However, this structure has also altered the Gaza enclave into what rights groups have long termed an open-air prison.
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