The IDF has begun construction of a new security barrier in the northern Jordan Valley aimed at preventing weapons smuggling and terrorist attacks, according to a report by the Times of Israel. Work is already underway along a planned 20-kilometer route through agricultural areas in the region.
The project, known by the military as “Scarlet Thread,” will include a paved patrol road for military vehicles, a natural obstacle, and, where necessary, trenches and earthen embankments. The IDF said the barrier is intended to prevent smugglers and terrorists traveling by vehicle from moving west from the Jordan Valley into central Judea and Samaria and toward Israel.
To build the barrier, the military issued seizure orders covering 1,160 dunams, or 287 acres, in the northern Jordan Valley. More than 85 percent of that land — 989 dunams, or 245 acres — is privately owned by Palestinians, while the remainder is classified as state land or land with undetermined ownership.
The route is expected to run from near Bayt Hassan to the area of Tayasir, largely parallel to Route 578, known as the Allon Road, and will pass through several agricultural communities.
The military said the project was developed following the August 2024 terror attack at Mehola Junction, in which 23-year-old Yonatan Deutsch was murdered by Palestinian terrorists. IDF officials say the barrier is meant to prevent attackers and weapons smugglers from escaping westward into nearby Palestinian population centers after carrying out attacks.
Construction began after the High Court of Justice allowed the state to begin work on parts of the route while a petition against the project remains pending. The court noted that roads on both sides of the planned barrier would remain open and that controlled crossings are expected to allow farmers access to their land.
The IDF said the work is being carried out in accordance with the court’s decision and within the approved boundaries. Palestinian petitioners, however, argue that the project could make as much as 50 square kilometers, or 19.3 square miles, of privately owned agricultural land difficult to access and could cause an estimated $200 million in losses to local agricultural businesses.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)