Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday the approval to extend the fortified fence along the Egyptian border to Jordan, Reuters reports.
The fence, which currently runs from the Gaza Strip to the southern Red Sea resort of Eliat, will be extended by 18 miles (30 km) to the Jordanian border north of the Red Sea.
"This is an important matter. It is part of our national security," Netanyahu told media.
According to Reuters, the extension was approved by the security cabinet amid concerns of "African immigrants and armed jihadi infiltrators" entering Israel via Jordan.
