Israel Builds Hidden Highway
Israel has expelled Jews from Gaza, built bomb shelters and invented anti-Kassam missiles to defend the Negev. Now it has built a "hidden highway" to escape rockets.
Home Front Matan Vilnai, former deputy to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, dedicated the new 3.5-kiometer (1.5-mile) road that was designed to be out of view of nearby Gaza terrorists.
The new road cost 4.5 million shekels ($1.3million) and was built in three months with the help of the Jewish National Fund (KNF) and the Engineering Corps of the IDF.
The route was built between trees, keeping it out of sight from Gaza's sand dunes, and Vilnai said he ordered its construction after Hamas terrorists last April attacked a school bus with a laser-guided anti-tank rocket.
The attack killed 16-year-old Daniel Viklic. The bus was traveling on the main highway from the Nahal Oz area, and dozens of children disembarked from thus minutes before the missile struck.
The new road "will give a feeling of security to Gaza Belt residents and will help them live normal lives," said Vilnai.
Another 'counterterrorist" measure carried out by the IDF and the JNF is to plant trees along the Gaza border so that terrorists will not be able to see their targets.
Tal Russo, the head of the IDF's Southern Command, pledged to "continue to defend citizens," and Sha'ar HaNegev regional council chairman Alon Shuster joined praises for the new road, saying it"strengthens the community of Nahal Oz and allows us to face difficult challenges that are head of us."
He did not elaborate, but most military officials estimate that another war against Gaza terrorists is only a matter of time.
Defense Minister Barak has conducted a retaliatory policy of striking terrorist targets immediately after rocket and roadside bomb attacks on The Israeli civilians and soldiers. IDF targets have included tunnels designed by terrorists to infiltrate into the Negev for conducting kidnapping operations. Barak has not explained why has not ordered the tunnels to be destroyed before terrorists launch attacks.
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