Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday that the final section of a security fence along the border with Egypt’s barren Sinai should be finished by the end of March.
Netanyahu on Wednesday attended a ceremony marking the completion of 230 kilometres (144 miles) of the barrier, with just over seven miles still to go, in the vicinity of the Red Sea resort of Eilat.
Netanyahu is campaigning ahead of a snap general election on January 22, in which his government’s efforts against illegal immigration are likely to figure prominently.
Israel began constructing the fence in late 2010 to stem an influx of thousands of illegal migrants through the porous border.
The statement said that the fence had already had a dramatic effect in the past year, even before its completion.
With the fall of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and increasing lawlessness in the Sinai, the fence has taken on added security significance in helping stop cross-border militant attacks, the Israeli military says.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.