Israel expands Jordan border defenses amid growing terror threats
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JORDAN VALLEY: Following Hamas’ terrorist invasion of Israel’s southern border on October 7, 2023, the Jewish state established the 96th army division to thwart new security threats on the Jordanian border.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) granted Fox News Digital exclusive access to military bases on the front lines of the fight against the Iranian regime, terrorism, drug and arms smuggling, as well as the illegal entry of Palestinians seeking work in Israel.
“Although the Jordanian border is the peace border, there is a strategic competition over Jordan. The other side is the Jordanian border,” an IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital. [Iran’s regime] He understands that this is a peaceful border and a strategic advantage for our enemies who want to be there.” Jordan and Israel reached a peace agreement in 1994.
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View from an IDF military watchtower overlooking Jordan. (Benjamin Weinthal for Fox News Digital)
The longevity of Middle East peace is at stake in the sweltering heat of the Bible-rich history of the Jordan Valley, where Joshua led the Jews to Israel.
The Jordan Valley is mentioned frequently in the Holy Scriptures. John the Baptist conducted his ministry and baptisms, including that of Jesus, in the Valley. “Tourists come to explore this place [Jordan Valley region]” said the military officer. Because of the origins of Christianity and Judaism, the Jordan Valley has been labeled the “Original Bible Belt.”
According to Middle East experts, Fox News Digital reported that the regime and Hamas are trying to destabilize Jordan during Israel’s seven-front war against Iran and its allies.
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In 2024, there were protests in Jordan in support of the Hamas terrorist organization.
After Hamas massacred more than 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans, on September 7, the IDF is reactivating 45 military bases scattered between Israel and Jordan. The IDF said the bases were built after the 1967 Six-Day War and that their operations “ceased in the late 1990s.” The IDF 96th Division oversees sprawling bases filled with bunkers in the Jordan Valley.
“Since the beginning of the year, Section 96 has foiled more than 20 smuggling attempts involving weapons and narcotics,” an IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
According to the military officer, “All walks of life come here [Jordan Valley]. The army’s mission is to ensure that everyone lives here in peace.” The IDF spokesman said the 96th Division covers 250 air miles and an area of approximately 242.3 miles. The IDF created the 96th Division a little more than a year ago.
The IDF spokesman said a critical part of its multi-layered defenses was building a new wall. “The military took everything we learned from 7/10 and revamped the wall.” The military official added that the construction of the wall helps explain why Palestinians are trying to enter Israel illegally to find work: “They see the wall and realize it’s time to go in.”
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He emphasized that there are legal entry points into Israel from Jordan.
The new multifaceted Israeli border system in the Jordan Valley is delimited by three layers. The first layer is a military outpost similar to the facility Fox News Digital toured. Dubbed the “European Goldfinch”, it sits across the disused historic Adams Bridge, within sight of two Jordanian military outposts.
The second layer of defense is the construction of a wall. The third line of defense is the military bases where the 96th Division is located. The IDF official said the army also increased the number of reserve soldiers.
The Israeli army built five more battalions consisting of soldiers who never entered service or who had finished their service and wanted to return to duty. The IDF spokesman said the reservists “understand where we are in history” and their “love for Israel.”
During Israel’s war with Iran, the religious regime’s forces fired missiles into the Jordan Valley. The shelters in the police stations served as shelter against Iranian rockets.
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First line of defense. There is an IDF military outpost on the Israeli side of the Jordanian border. (Benjamin Weinthal for Fox News Digital)
The military bases, overseen by Fox News Digital, are located in Area C, a disputed West Bank region that many Israelis refer to by the biblical names of Judea and Samaria. Approximately 500,000 Israelis and around 300,000 Palestinians live in Area C, which accounts for 60% of the total area of Judea and Samaria. The Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993 envisaged the absorption of military and civilian control over Area C by the IDF.
“We have the same agenda as Jordan: to keep the border peaceful,” the IDF spokesman said.
