The Defense Ministry's Landmine Clearance Authority, in cooperation with the HALO Trust Foundation, officially opened, this week, an historic project to clean Qasr Al-Yahud, on the banks of the River Jordan north of the Dead Sea, from mines, old ammunition and traps.
During the estimated year-long project, the authority is expected to clean up 1,000 dunam (250 acres) of land and to locate about 3,000 mines of various kinds - including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and other remnants of explosives. When the authority ensures that the site is not a danger, private areas will be returned to various churches, and citizens and tourists will be able to return, visit and pray at Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites in the area.