By Abdelraouf Arna'out
JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel said Wednesday it is building an additional 45-kilometer concrete wall in the occupied West Bank.
A statement by the Defense Ministry said the 9-meter-high wall will replace an old security fence built around 20 years ago in the occupied territory.
It will take over a year for the construction of the wall to complete, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the new stretch of the security barrier aims to prevent Palestinians from sneaking into Israel.
"We will continue to operate against all threats we face in order to maintain the security of Israel's civilians,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said.
Israel built a separation wall between the West Bank and Israel in 2002, and the Palestinians call it the "apartheid wall" as it is built on Palestinian lands occupied in 1967.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara