Israel reinforces barrier with 45km concrete wall to stop Palestinians crossing

Nine-metre-tall wall will replace fencing installed 20 years ago and condemned by the UN and Palestinian Authority

Israel has started building a 45-kilometre concrete wall to reinforce a barrier separating the country from the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday that work had begun on a stretch of wall to replace fencing installed 20 years ago.

It said the wall would be nine metres tall, with “additional technological means”.

It will stretch from the Arab village of Salem to the north of the Palestinian city of Tulkarm and will be completed next year.

Twenty years ago, Israel began building the separation wall on West Bank lands to prevent Palestinians from crossing into the country. The move was condemned by the Palestinian Authority and the UN.

Construction on this section, carried out by the ministry's department of engineering and the military, has begun months after a series of attacks on Israeli civilians by Palestinians from the area. Months of military raids by Israeli forces followed.

Thousands of Palestinians cross into Israel from the West Bank illegally through holes in the barrier, much of which is a towering wall but is also made up of fences prone to being damaged. Many work as day labourers and earn salaries much higher than those in the West Bank.

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  A crane hoists a concrete slab into place as Israel reinforces a wall separating it from the West Bank. All photos: AFP

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  The wall will be 45 kilometres long, nine metres high and is expected to be completed next year.

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  Israel is reinforcing an existing barrier in an attempt to stop Palestinians from crossing into its territory illegally.

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  The wall will stretch from the Arab village of Salem to the north of the Palestinian city of Tulkarm.

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  Twenty years ago, Israel began building the separation wall on West Bank lands to prevent Palestinians from crossing.

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  The move was heavily criticised by the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority.

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  Construction of the new section is being overseen by the ministry's department of engineering and the military.

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  The building work comes months of unrest in the area.

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  Israel says thousands of Palestinians cross into its land illegally from the West Bank, through holes in the barrier.

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  Officials say the wall will be equipped with 'additional technological means'.

On June 19, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man after the Israeli military said he tried to cross the barrier illegally.

The military said soldiers saw the man “sabotaging” the fence outside Qalqilya in the West Bank and “attempting to illegally cross into Israeli territory”.

Forces opened fire in an attempt to stop him and shot him, it said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces killed the man, identified as Nabil Ghanem from Nablus in the West Bank, near the barrier. He was 53, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.