| Ander Nieuws week 34 / Midden-Oosten 2011 |
Attempt to keep Palestinians off Golan Heights
Associated Press
August 13, 2011
Israel's army is planting new land mines along its border with Syria in an attempt to dissuade protesters from rushing into the Golan Heights, a military magazine reported on Friday.
The preparations come as part of Israel's beefed-up measures ahead of rallies that Palestinians are planning to hold in September, the magazine Mahaneh reported.
Israel came under heavy international criticism when its troops opened fire on Syrians and Palestinians who broke through the fenced border into the Golan Heights during a June 5 demonstration. Around 20 protesters were killed. Israel worries that the planned September demonstrations in the West Bank could also see a new attempt to breach the Golan frontier.
The army decided to go ahead with the move after older mines failed to detonate when the Syrians crossed in June, the magazine reported. The mountainous plateau is heavily sown with minefields, which are marked. Military officials have said they are also preparing non-lethal methods for controlling any Golan protests.
Protests
"The activities are intended to thicken landed mines and strengthen obstacles," said Major Ariel Iluz, according to the magazine.
"Combined with our military forces and snipers, these are supposed to delay or even prevent a lot of people from crossing the border," Iluz said.
The June demonstrators were protesting Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights, a territory it seized in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed. The international community does not recognise its annexation.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
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| Ander Nieuws week 34 / Midden-Oosten 2011 |