The cabinet on Sunday, 12 Cheshvan 5773 in an expected move approved the fortification of homes 4.5 – 7 kilometers from the Gaza border at a cost of 270 million NIS. Defense Ministry officials favor the plan as well in light of the recent escalation of rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israeli civilian population centers.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week announced the urgent matter would be raised at the upcoming cabinet meeting following a sharp escalation of Hamas attacks into the area, including one day in which over 75 rockets and mortar shells were launched from Gaza.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commented on the situation in southern Israel at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting stating, “Today we will also decide on completing the protection of residents of the south. Until today, residents of the south in the area adjacent to Gaza enjoyed protection, full protection up to 4.5 kilometers. The addition of Iron Dome batteries affords protection beyond seven kilometers – but the seam remains.

“In the intermediate seam, there was protection for educational institutions. Today, we will decide to complete this full protection for all residents of the south, for all structures, homes and residences. Of course, this will provide security for residents of the south. We are doing this because attacks by rockets and missiles at shorter distances are much greater in the area around Gaza than at other distances. I think that this is what residents of the south have been hoping for; they have been calling for it for a long time.

“I have discussed this with Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter and, of course, with his predecessor, Matan Vilnai, before the latter went to Beijing. He left me with this request as an imperative that we must implement. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also requested this of me. This decision has been preceded by extensive staff work by the various ministries, led by the Prime Minister’s Office and its Director-General. This is, I think, what is necessary. I think that this is one of the most important items that the Cabinet is deciding today for residents of the south. I am certain that it will be approved unanimously.”

The cabinet did not determine where the funding would come from, instructing the prime minister to find the funding in the next month and he can approve it without bringing the matter back to the cabinet.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)