IDF begins upgrading Gaza border barrier with new technology, infrastructure

The Defense Ministry's Borders and Seam Directorate began upgrading the 'Hourglass' security fence along the Gaza Strip this month, implementing five improvements based on lessons from the October 7 attack and the war against Hezbollah. The upgrades include reinforced gates, terrain analysis for winter, secured military passages, anti-drone technology, and advanced intelligence systems.

The Defense Ministry's Borders and Seam Directorate, under Maj.-Gen. Eran Ofir, has begun upgrading the 'Hourglass' security fence along the Gaza Strip this month, based on lessons from the October 7 attack and the war against Hezbollah. The first upgrade reinforces gates along the international border to make them harder to breach while allowing military passage. The second involves terrain analysis and engineering work ahead of winter to prevent damage from soil erosion and flooding. The third adds secured openings for rapid troop movement across the fence. The fourth integrates technology to counter low-altitude threats, particularly fiber-optic drones used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The fifth prepares for advanced intelligence-gathering systems to improve early warning. The article notes that the fence was breached at dozens of locations on October 7, but General Staff investigations found it fulfilled its intended purpose. It also reveals that Hamas tested explosives on the fence before the attack, but Southern Command did not inform the Borders and Seam Directorate.