Israel speeds up work on border fence

Israel is speeding up construction of a security fence along its border with Egypt to halt the flow of illegal African immigrants, officials said. So far construction of 40.3 miles of the fence has been completed and an additional 24.8 miles will be finished by the end of the year, The Jerusalem Post reported. Officials from the Defense Ministry told the newspaper recent months have seen an increase in the number of illegals trying to cross the border in advance of the fence's completion. Construction on an additional 142.9 miles of fence is expected to be finished by next September, the paper said. The ministry also plans to deploy a sophisticated radar system along the border to alert troops of potential crossings before immigrants reach the fence, the paper said. In September Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced the timetable for construction would be shortened by three months. Visiting the site where work was under way, Netanyahu declared Israel's border with Egypt a peaceful one but said the rapid construction of the fence is important for both peace and security.