Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu toured the Egyptian border on Tuesday morning, and observed the progress of the security barrier being built in the area. The fence will be built faster than previously planned, he announced.
“Israel’s border with Egypt is a peaceful border. To maintain this peace, there must be security, and to that end a fence is necessary,” Netanyahu declared.
Speeding the fence’s construction by several months “is important for both peace and security,” he added.
The Sinai Peninsula has become a hotbed of terrorism and other illegal activity since the overthrow of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Terrorists recently infiltrated the Eilat area from Sinai and carried out a major attack in which eight Israelis were killed.
In the days since, terrorists have made a second attempt at an attack, and have fired on IDF soldiers near the border.
In addition, thousands of illegal migrants from Africa have made their way to Israel each month as tensions in Egypt continue.