Israel issues tender for moat on Philadelphi Route in Gaza

The announcement of the tender comes 11 days after the cabinet approved in principle a unilateral Israel withdrawal from Gaza, under which Israel would keep troops at the site of the narrow corridor on the Egyptian border, pending possible security arrangements with Cairo.

The moat will be four kilometers in length and between 15 to 16 meters deep. Defense sources confirmed that the moat will be built along the Philadelphi Route ahead of an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, which is slated to be completed by the end of 2005.

IDF sources said the tender is a demonstration of the defense establishment's sincerity in implementing the pullout from Gaza.

Sources said that the Defense Ministry cannot yet assess the cost of construction, adding that the tender will give the ministry an opportunity to evaluate the cost of the project and verify whether Israeli contractors are able to meet its specifications.

A senior defense official said recently that a major part of the cost for digging the moat will be financed by the sale of large quantities of sand that will be dug up during construction.

It is still unclear, however, whether Israel has the right to sell the sand, since the land in question is defined as 'occupied,' and whose international status is still unknown.

"This is the beginning of turning the Gaza Strip into a big prison," Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said, comparing the trench to the barrier Israel is constructing in the West Bank with the declared aim of stopping suicide bombers.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/440418.html