Israel occupation army doubles forces deployed along Jordan border

The Israeli occupation army continues to bolster its forces along the Jordanian border. Israeli media revealed that it is using new systems to confront potential security risks, such as infiltration operations, carrying out operations against occupation targets and smuggling weapons.

The occupation’s interest in monitoring the Jordanian border increased with the start of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on 7 October, 2023, and the occupation’s concerns increased after a Jordanian driver carried out an operation at the Karameh Border Crossing.

Channel 12 reported on Thursday that the occupation army doubled its forces on the Jordanian border and established a new defensive system, including guard and observation points and ambushes on the eastern border.

The number of forces also increased from five companies, before 7 October, 2023, to ten companies deployed in the border areas. At the same time, the occupation army made technological improvements to the border fence, including installing advanced radars and cameras to cover all observation points up to the water line in the Jordan River.

The channel reported that these reinforcements and movements by the occupation stem primarily from a significant increase in smuggling attempts across the eastern border, as well as from the desire to thwart operations that may be planned against Israeli targets.

In recent months, the occupation forces claimed to have seized large shipments of weapons, including an attempt to smuggle 96 weapons two months ago, as well as another shipment containing 36 weapons two weeks ago.

The occupation authorities are accusing Iran of being the main party behind the smuggling operations and aiming to transport the combat equipment to the occupied West Bank. The year 2024 witnessed several operations on the Jordanian border area against the occupation, most notably the killing of three Israeli security officers by a Jordanian truck driver at the Karameh Border Crossing near Jericho last September. In October 2024, two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting south of the Dead Sea carried out by gunmen from Jordan, two of whom were killed by the occupation army.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a tour of the border with Jordan last September that Israel would work to establish a “stronger barrier” on the border to ensure its security and prevent the smuggling of weapons and “terrorists”, referring to those who carry out operations against targets affiliated with the occupation.

The occupation army is currently working to establish a new division that will be responsible for the entire eastern border, from the border triangle in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to Ramon Airport in the Eilat area in the south. In late October, Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved the establishment of the division.

According to the army, there is talk of an: “Eastern regional division aimed at protecting the eastern border of the State of Israel.”

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