The barrier is expected to take three years to complete.

By Hezy Laing

The Israeli Defense Ministry has begun the construction of a high‑tech security barrier along Israel’s eastern border with Jordan.

The plan, championed by Defense Minister Israel Katz and endorsed by the security cabinet in May 2025, will see the barrier stretch from Hamat Gader in the north to the Samar Sands near Eilat in the south, covering approximately 425 kilometers (264 miles) of frontier.

The initiative is expected to take three years to complete.

The cost has been estimated at NIS 5.2 billion, or about $1.4–1.5 billion, making it one of Israel’s largest infrastructure and defense undertakings in recent years.

Officials argue the timing is urgent, as the Jordan Valley Division, created by the IDF in October 2024, has reported rising threats of arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and potential terrorist infiltration across the porous border.

Intelligence assessments also warn that Iran and its proxies could exploit Jordanian territory to funnel weapons into Israel.

Katz described the project as essential to “plugging Israel’s eastern flank,” complementing existing barriers along the Egyptian border and the Gaza Strip.

The barrier will not be a simple fence, but a multi‑layered system combining physical walls, advanced sensors, surveillance grids, and mobile military units.

Command centers will be established in the Jordan Valley to coordinate rapid responses, drawing on lessons from Israel’s southern border fence with Egypt, completed in the 2010s, which successfully reduced illegal migration and smuggling.

A 30‑kilometer segment between Eilat and Ramon International Airport has already been upgraded, serving as a prototype for the new system.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced strong support, framing the barrier as part of Israel’s long‑term security doctrine.

While Jordan maintains a peace treaty with Israel, officials stress that the project is aimed at non‑state actors and transnational threats, not the Hashemite Kingdom itself.

Once completed, the Jordan barrier will join Israel’s network of defensive walls and fences, symbolizing the country’s determination to secure its borders against evolving regional challenges.