In an unprecedented move since the year 2000, the Israeli occupation army has deployed armored personnel carriers in various areas of the Jordan Valley, raising numerous questions and concerns.
These actions followed a visit by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the Jordan Valley region, which is part of the West Bank bordering Jordan, last month. During the visit, Netanyahu announced his intention to build a wall along the border with Jordan, aiming to prevent the smuggling of weapons and infiltration by resistance fighters into the West Bank, where they could carry out operations against settlements.
The expansion of the occupation’s control over the Jordanian border signifies a step toward annexing the West Bank, laying the groundwork for increased settlement activities and a potential re-occupation of the entire West Bank, despite the freedom Israel already has to operate in the area.
Furthermore, Jordan firmly opposes the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, fearing it could encourage Israeli plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians to Jordan, a scenario the kingdom has strongly warned against in recent months.
The Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported that settlers in the Arava Valley, located south of the occupied Palestinian territories near the Jordanian border, have recently expressed heightened concerns over what they describe as increasing attempts to breach the area.
The settlers’ anxiety was amplified after an incident in which a four-wheel-drive vehicle was seen approaching the border and then disappearing. The head of the Arava Regional Council, Hanan Ginot, described the security situation as complex, and the measures taken to address security threats as challenging. “Although the Jordanian border is considered a peace border, it has become more exposed than ever before,” he said.
Ginot added, “The Arava Regional Council, which constitutes 13% of Israel’s total area, is situated in a strategic location in the south of the country, stretching 170 kilometers along the borders with Egypt and Jordan. Despite the presence of a fortified barrier along the Egyptian border, vast stretches of the Jordanian border remain without obstacles, making it easy for anyone to cross.”
He highlighted the escalation of smuggling operations across the Jordanian border over recent years, accompanied by fears of potential attacks. “The open border is being used to bring in weapons, and there is always a persistent fear that, at any moment, someone might carry out an attack,” he said.
In response, steps have been taken to enhance the security of the settlements in the region by increasing the presence of armed personnel along the agricultural lands and deploying rapid response teams.
“We recognize that we are not a top priority. In the event of a serious incident, we would be left to fend for ourselves for a considerable amount of time, and we are preparing for that,” he concluded.
