Dozens of workers have begun planting hundreds of trees along the train tracks leading from Asheklon to Sderot in an attempt to protect the trains and passengers on that line from rocket attacks. Israel Railways and the Defense Ministry have consulted with experts and decided to plant several hundred trees, a tactic that will conceal the railway cars without harming the environment. In May, a Hamas video discovered by Israeli forces in Gaza revealed that the new train line might be vulnerable to missile fire from the Gaza Strip. The video depicted detailed Palestinian surveillance of an Israeli passenger train from a distance of a few hundred meters away. After security officials assessed the railway line and discovered that some sections of the track were exposed to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, a decision was taken to suspend railway service on the line during Operation Protective Edge. The trains resumed running after the cease-fire was announced. Train service was extended to Sderot only last December when the first stage of the Ashkelon-Beersheba rail project was completed. The city was the first in Israel to feature a station specifically constructed to withstand rocket attacks. Other train stations are currently under construction in Netivot and Ofakim, which are also in range of Gaza rocket fire. The idea of planting tall, dense trees for protection is expected to be implemented elsewhere in the Gaza periphery.
X
שיתוף כתבה
Green Dome: Trees to protect trains from rockets
Video found by Israeli forces in May reveals close Hamas surveillance of new railway line • Officials suspended train service during Protective Edge • Idea of using trees for protection, concealment expected to be used in other parts of Gaza periphery.