IDF Establishes New Security Outposts Along Jordan Border for First Time in Decades
Over the past year, the Israel Defense Forces have set up several new security outposts east of the border fence with Jordan, in the security buffer zone between the fence and the Jordan River. According to a report on Galei Tzahal, this is the first such move in decades, since the era of Nahal outposts, and is intended to strengthen Israel’s defense on the eastern frontier.
The new positions are on Israeli territory but beyond the existing border fence, and they are staffed by reserve Home Front Command soldiers. They operate like agricultural farms while maintaining a constant military presence. Unlike the earlier arrangement, in which farmers were allowed to work the area only during limited hours, the new outposts are continuously inhabited by reservists living on site and holding the ground.
The Israel-Jordan border officially runs along the middle of the Jordan River, but in the 1970s Israel built a fence west of the river, near Route 90, to create a military security zone. After the peace treaty with Jordan in 1994, most of the army posts in that area were abandoned. In recent years, especially as threats along the eastern border intensified, the idea of restoring a permanent presence in the buffer zone gained traction.
Security officials said the plan had previously been rejected by Central Command commanders, but over the past year Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth approved several new sites. The outposts were established near Tomer and Petsa'el in the Jordan Valley. In parallel, the defense establishment also built a new control center overlooking the eastern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the site, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a broad command exercise to assess readiness in the sector. IDF spokesman Galei Tzahal reporter Doron Kadosh called it an “extremely significant event,” saying it marks a return to the model of border security outposts. The IDF confirmed the move, saying troops are deployed along the eastern border to strengthen defense and protect residents of the area.
