Gaza / Occupied Jerusalem - In
continuation of its relentless efforts in recent years to surround itself with multi-shaped walls, Israel launched a new project called "The Safe Way", which includes a concrete wall that extends for about 4.6 kilometers, with the aim of fortifying the so-called "Gaza envelope settlements" from attacks by the Palestinian resistance.
This wall is seen by Palestinians as a new indication of the failure of the Israeli air defense systems, most notably the "Iron Dome" system, in intercepting missiles and rockets fired by the resistance factions in Gaza.
Since tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip in mid-2007, Israel has worked to erect a security fence, in addition to various obstacles, such as planting dense trees and placing dirt berms along the roads adjacent to the northern borders of the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to reduce the effectiveness of anti-tank missiles, and to provide protection for settlers traveling on nearby roads.
However, this type of missile defeated the occupation and its various systems failed to intercept them, and it still poses a threat to the settlers in the "Gaza envelope", as well as to the Israeli army forces, especially in times of emergencies, wars and escalations with Gaza.
Israeli military officials inaugurate the "smart steel wall" with a length of 65 km with Gaza by the end of 2021 (the Israeli army)
state walls
It does not seem that such a wall will stand in the way of the resistance in Gaza, which has achieved remarkable successes in earlier times in dealing with the fortifications that Israel is developing, according to the confirmation of the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Radwan, who told Al-Jazeera Net, "All these measures It will not stop the resistance and will not bring security to the settlers."
In Radwan's opinion, the occupation "is living in a state of panic and terror, and is still under the influence of the equation imposed by the resistance in the Battle of Saif al-Quds, and is based on the principle of balanced deterrence."
This wall is not a new invention, as Israel has become a "state of walls" that surround it everywhere and on every side, for fear of the moment of "Palestinian explosion," according to Radwan.
"Each time these fortifications failed to stop the resistance of our people, and the resistance that was able to deal painful blows to the enemy will not fail to find a way to conquer its walls and fortifications," he said.
The spokesman for the Islamic Jihad Movement, Tariq Selmi, agrees with Radwan, and assures Al-Jazeera Net that "the resistance is in a state of preparation and equipment that does not stop, does not secure the enemy's deception, and is capable of defeating it."
He said, "We do not reveal a secret when we say that the resistance does not view these fortifications as an obstacle, and it is the one that prepares and plans for a moment of massive storming of the borders with Gaza, and the capture of Israeli soldiers, and Israeli circles have already expressed their fears about this scenario."
Silmi views the policy of building walls pursued by Israel as a waste of money, and the resistance has proven in previous confrontations its ability to adapt to the facts on the ground, study the weaknesses of the "enemy" and strike it from unexpected places.
During the battle of "Saif al-Quds" in May 2021, which the occupation called "Operation Guardian of the Walls", Hamas and Islamic Jihad documented their success in carrying out operations targeting Israeli military buses with missiles and medium-range missiles, bypassing the obstacle of Israeli fortifications in the eastern and northern sides of the Strip.
The "Safe Road" project, which Israel has initiated and will be launched next summer, comes to provide protection for settlements throughout the year, and to guarantee freedom of movement and movement for them in times of security tension, and to secure their access to shelters.
As part of the project, which costs about $50 million, the Israeli Ministry of Security will build a concrete wall, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation, the Engineering and Construction Department, and the Engineering Corps of the Israeli Army, for a length of 4.6 kilometers on Highway 34, as well as along sections of Highway 232. Bike lanes in the area.
lost security
The project is part of a long and continuous work in partnership between the southern command of the occupation army and the "Gaza Division" in full cooperation with the settlements of the "Gaza envelope", with the aim of improving security in the area, without harming the fabric of the settlers' social life, while preserving the character of the area, according to a statement. Issued by the spokesperson of the occupation army.
"The wall will contribute to providing security and safety for the Israeli residents of the region, and the development and prosperity of settlements, despite the threats from Gaza," said the commander of the "Gaza Division", Avi Rosenfeld, in a brief statement.
He explained that the purpose of the project is "to enable traffic protected from threats on the central roads in the settlements around the Gaza Strip."
He said, "The security services will continue to work defensively and offensively for the security of the southern settlements."
Palestinian resistance targets an Israeli armored vehicle with a "Cornet" missile (communication sites)
Feverish racing
The Israeli researcher and specialist in military affairs, Uzi Rubin, said that since the military operation "Protective Edge" (the aggression against Gaza in 2014) and until Operation "Sincere Dawn" (the aggression in 2022), Israel is in a frantic race to develop its defensive air capabilities, and also to undermine the ability of the factions. To launch rockets into the Israeli rear, and to prevent the firing of anti-tank missiles at the settlements "covering Gaza".
Rubin tells Al-Jazeera Net that it is not clear who will resolve the battle of rockets and anti-tank missiles, noting that the concrete wall near the "cover settlements" confirms that Iron Dome is unable to intercept anti-tank missiles.
This wall is also a test to examine its effectiveness in fortifying the area throughout the year, and protecting it from missiles during security events and military operations.
The specialist in military affairs believes that the construction of the wall, as well as the missile tests of the factions in Gaza recently, reflect the ongoing race between the Israeli army and the armed factions, in everything related to the development of air defense systems, missiles and anti-tank missiles.
In his opinion, all the military operations showed that the armed factions have strengthened their missile capabilities, despite the development and innovations of the Israeli defense systems, and despite the walls and obstacles, and the facts imposed by the army along the security fence with Gaza.
Immunization is not guaranteed
The "Safe Road" project comes as a continuation of the "Smart Steel Security Wall" project, which extends 65 kilometers above and below ground, which was inaugurated in December 2021 at a cost of $1.2 billion. It starts from Beit Hanoun in the north of the Strip to Rafah in the south, with an average height of 8 meters. meters and a depth of 25 meters underground.
It aims to thwart the attack tunnels and prevent the infiltration of resistance members into the "Gaza periphery" settlements.
According to Mustafa Ibrahim, a political analyst specialized in Israeli affairs, the "safe path" is an attempt by Israel to reduce the threat of anti-tank missiles used by the resistance to target Israeli buses and hit them directly.
Therefore, Israel aims to hide the roads and the movement of settlers in the Gaza Strip from the eyes of the resistance.
Ibrahim believes, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that this project may protect settlers to some extent in the settlements surrounding Gaza, but it will not provide them with complete security in any possible confrontation under the new extremist ruling coalition in Israel.
In this belief, Ibrahim relies on previous experiences of the resistance that proved its ability to innovate and find alternatives to overcome the obstacle of Israeli fortifications, whether walls, earth or technical obstacles such as the Iron Dome.