Israel Resumes Construction of Separation Wall in Southern West Bank

Part of the construction work on the separation barrier in the vicinities of Salem village on Israel’s northern border with the West Bank. (DPA)
Part of the construction work on the separation barrier in the vicinities of Salem village on Israel’s northern border with the West Bank. (DPA)
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Israel Resumes Construction of Separation Wall in Southern West Bank

Part of the construction work on the separation barrier in the vicinities of Salem village on Israel’s northern border with the West Bank. (DPA)
Part of the construction work on the separation barrier in the vicinities of Salem village on Israel’s northern border with the West Bank. (DPA)

The Israeli army announced Friday that its forces and engineering units launched the construction work on the southern West Bank section of the separation barrier between the occupied territories in 1948 and 1967.

The army said the step aims to prevent Palestinians from southern Hebron from entering Israel, under the pretext of “preventing and thwarting terrorist operations.”

The military said in a statement that the work has already led to a “significant decrease in the number of illegal infiltrations into Israeli territory.”

It pointed out that 60 engineering vehicles and three battalions were working to build the barrier in the Judean Desert area in the West Bank.

The plan included digging a deep trench over some 20 kilometers to prevent the passage of people and vehicles.

The Israeli army said that five kilometers of the trench have already been dug and other seven-and-a-half kilometers have been prepared, in coordination with the Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

According to the army, resuming the construction wall is part of its “Waves Breaker” ongoing operation, launched in the West Bank back in March.

Under the operation, Israeli forces carry out large-scale arrests among Palestinians under the pretext of “arresting wanted persons and suspects in security cases and thwarting sabotage acts using public and secret means.”

Dozens of people were detained as part of the campaign, and about 20 were killed, including journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

However, the occupation army described it as a “successful campaign” that led to “a significant decrease in the number of infiltrations in recent weeks through the so-called Seam Zone (the area between the separation fence and Israel).”

Although work has just begun, the army stated that in recent weeks its forces were able to prevent more than 200 vehicles from entering Israel illegally.

It said it arrested dozens of stolen Israeli vehicles, as well as suspected infiltrators who tried to enter Israeli territory without permits.

The army leadership also established a brigade headquarters with specific tasks in the Seam Zone. It comprises two battalions and aims to boost protection along the zone and prevent infiltrators from crossing.

“The construction at the barrier is a clear example of the development of our capabilities. The project was established with the goal of reducing the number of illegal infiltrations into Israel. By working on the barrier, we thwart terrorist attacks,” Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said in remarks provided by the military.

“Our mission is that there will be zero terrorist attacks, and we will continue to operate as needed to stop this wave of terror and complete the mission,” he said.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Army Chief Aviv Kohavi, and his deputy, Major General Herzi Halevi, have recently toured the area and were briefed on the progress in the construction work.

Kohavi cited the “wave of terrorism that hit Israel,” stressing that his forces responded with force and determination by launching the military operation Waves Breaker, in which all army units, including intelligence, information and communications technology, units and battalions of the Judea and Samaria Division and the Central Command, have taken part.

He affirmed that the operation aims to defend Israeli citizens and prevent terrorist acts.

Israel decided to build the barrier in June 2002, at the height of the second intifada, or uprising.

Eighty-five percent of the still-unfinished barrier is inside the West Bank, carving off nearly 10% of its territory.

The Palestinians view it as an illegal land grab and the International Court of Justice in 2004 said the barrier was “contrary to international law.”

The United Nations estimates that some 150 Palestinian communities have farmland inside the West Bank but west of the barrier. Some 11,000 Palestinians live in this so-called Seam Zone, requiring Israeli permits just to stay in their homes.

The UN also estimates that about 65% of the roughly 710-kilometer (450-mile) structure has been completed.



Israel’s Army Says It Will Fire Air Force Reservists Who Condemned Gaza War

An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)
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Israel’s Army Says It Will Fire Air Force Reservists Who Condemned Gaza War

An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)

Israel's military said Friday it will fire air force reservists who signed an open letter that condemns the war in Gaza for only serving political interests instead of bringing the hostages home.

In a statement to The Associated Press, an army official said there was no room for any individual, including reservists on active duty, “to exploit their military status while simultaneously participating in the fighting,” calling the letter a breach of trust between commanders and subordinates.

The army said it had decided that any active reservist who signed the letter will not be able to continue serving. It did not specify how many people that included or if the firings had begun.

Nearly 1,000 Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees signed the letter, published in Israeli media Thursday, demanding the immediate return of the hostages, even at the cost of ending the fighting.

The letter comes as Israel ramps up its offensive in Gaza, trying to pressure Hamas to agree to free hostages, 59 of whom are still being held, more than half of which are dead. Israel's imposed a blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle. It has pledged to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor through it.

While the soldiers who signed the letter didn’t refuse to keep serving, it’s part of a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 18-month conflict, some saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines.

“It’s completely illogical and irresponsible on behalf of the Israeli policy makers ... risking the lives of the hostages, risking the lives of more soldiers and risking lives of many, many more innocent Palestinians, while it had a very clear alternative,” Guy Poran, a retired Israeli Air Force pilot who spearhead the letter told The AP.

He said he's not aware of anyone who signed the letter being fired, and since it was published, it has gained dozens more signatures.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed the letter on Friday, saying it was written by a “small handful of weeds, operated by foreign-funded NGOs whose sole goal is to overthrow the right-wing government.” He said anyone who encourages refusal will be immediately dismissed.

Soldiers are required to steer clear of politics, and they rarely speak out against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the group. Divisions here have grown as the war progresses, but most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to bring home hostages, not actions in Gaza.

The war in Gaza shows no signs of slowing.

Since Israel ended an eight-week ceasefire last month, it said it will push further into Gaza until Hamas releases the hostages. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed, according to the United Nations.

The Israeli military on Friday issued an urgent warning to residents in several neighborhoods in northern Gaza, calling on them to evacuate immediately. At least 26 people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Palestinians lined up at a charity kitchen Friday in central Gaza said shortages of food, fuel and other essentials are worsening.

“There is no flour or gas or wood. Everything is expensive and there is no money," said Reem Oweis, a displaced woman from al-Mughraqa in south Gaza, waiting in line for a serving of rice, the only food available.

“I completely rely on charity kitchens. If those charity kitchens close, my children and I will die,” said another displace woman, Nema Faragallah.

Also this week, Brazil's Embassy in the West Bank said it had requested the immediate release of the body of a 17-year-old Palestinian prisoner who died in Israeli custody.

A representative from Brazil's office in Ramallah, told the AP it was helping the family speed up the process to bring Walid Ahmad's body home. Ahmad had a Brazilian passport.

According to an Israeli doctor who observed the autopsy, starvation was likely the primary cause of his death.

Ahmad had been held for six months without being charged. He was extremely malnourished and also showed signs of inflammation of the colon and scabies, said a report written by Dr. Daniel Solomon, who watched the autopsy, conducted by Israeli experts, at the request of the boy’s family.

Israel’s prison service said it operates according to the law and all prisoners are given basic rights.