Israel will finally break ground on its long-promised security fence along the Jordanian border this June

Sources tell the Times of Israel that the fence will be loaded with cutting-edge sensors and surveillance networks along a 309-mile stretch from the Golan Heights’southern edge to Ramon International Airport north of Eilat. The remaining 18-mile section to Eilat was already fortified in the 2010s with similar technology used on Israel’s Egypt and Gaza borders.

At this point it remains unclear whether the IDF will increase troop presence along its new security fence or primarily depend on technology, especially after witnessing Hamas overrun with relative ease Gaza’s tech-driven fence on October 7, 2023.

Defense Minister Israel Katz initially called for its construction last August, when he accused Tehran of working to create an “eastern terror front against Israel.” However, military officials have been raising alarms about the border’s weaknesses since early 2023, with former IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs sending a formal warning to IDF Chief of Staff before his retirement.

Jordan’s status as a regional ally hasn’t prevented Iranian networks from taking advantage, with security officials estimating tens of thousands of weapons have crossed over the past decade. Much of the Israel-Jordan border lacks meaningful protection, with outdated chain-link fencing and sensors in certain areas and simple barbed wire marking other sections.