JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Ministry released on Sunday first pictures of a new maritime barrier across the Gaza Strip coast.
The barrier is 200 meters long and 50 meters wide, and has a 6-meter-high fence. "This structure will require additional measures that will provide full coverage of the entire sea against infiltrations," the ministry said in a statement.
Israel's Border and Seam Planning Administration and the Engineering and Construction Department at the Defense Ministry started to construct the barrier about two months ago on the Zikim beach, near the Gaza border.
Israel decided to build the barrier after its 2014 military campaign in Gaza, during which Gaza militants attempted to cross into Israel through the sea.
"The new response to the security threat was designed to withstand the sea conditions and serve the defense establishment for many years," the statement said.
According to Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the building of barriers around Gaza, both on land and on the sea, "is progressing at a rapid and impressive pace, and every day that passes, our counterterrorism capabilities around the Gaza Strip are growing stronger."
Eran Ophir, head of Borders and Sewer, said that the military is "working with all our might to complete the work on the maritime barrier that is expected to be completed by the end of the year."
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007.
