Israel Constructs 22-Kilometer Barrier in Jordan Valley

The Israeli military is constructing a 22-kilometer-long barrier along with a system of blockades and checkpoints on the east side of the West Bank in the Jordan Valley. Official military documents specify the project is intended to stop the smuggling of arms and drugs from Jordan into the region.

Activists and Palestinian residents claim the barrier is designed to further isolate Palestinian communities. The planned route is expected to bisect one village and entirely encircle the village of Khirbet Yarza, which could cut off 13 families from medical care, schools, and municipal services.

This construction coincides with a reported 50% increase in severe settler violence over the past year. Local farmers have reported crop losses resulting from restrictions and harassment by Jewish settlers at nearby outposts.