In response to the terrorist invasion by Hamas at Israel’s southern border on October 7, 2023, Israel took decisive action by establishing the 96th army division. This strategic move aims to address and neutralize emerging security threats on its border with Jordan.
News Media was granted privileged access to certain military bases positioned at the forefront of the confrontation with Iran’s regime. These bases are actively engaged in tackling terrorism, the smuggling of narcotics and weapons, and the issue of Palestinians illegally crossing into Israel for employment.
An Israeli military official explained to News Media the complex dynamics of the border with Jordan, describing it as a “peace border.” However, he highlighted the strategic competition over the area with Iran’s regime, noting, “The other side understands it is a peaceful border and a strategic advantage for any of our enemies who want to be there.” It’s worth recalling that Jordan and Israel formalized a peace agreement back in 1994.
A view from an IDF military watchtower offers a glimpse into Jordan. (Benjamin Weinthal for News Media)
The enduring peace in the Middle East is being tested in the arid, historically rich landscape of the Jordan Valley, where, according to the Bible, Joshua once led the Jews into Israel. The situation remains tense amidst these challenges, as the region holds significant historical and strategic importance.
The Jordan Valley frequently appears in Scripture. John the Baptist led his ministry and baptisms, including Jesus’, in the Valley. “Tourists come to explore it [Jordan Valley region],” said the military official. As a result of the origins of Christianity and Judaism, the Jordan Valley has been labeled the “Original Bible Belt.”
During Israel’s seven-front war against Iran and its allies, News Media reported that the regime and Hamas sought to destabilize Jordan, according to Mideast experts.
In 2024, Jordan experienced protests in support of the Hamas terrorist organization.
After Hamas slaughtered over 1,200 people on 10/7, including more than 40 Americans, the IDF is reactivating 45 military bases spread out between Israel and Jordan. The IDF said the bases were built after the 1967 Six-Day War and their operation was” discontinued in the late 1990s. IDF Division 96 oversees the sprawling bases filled with bunkers in the Jordan Valley.
A military official told News Media that “Since the beginning of the year, Division 96 has thwarted more than 20 smuggling attempts involving weapons and narcotics.”
According to the military official, “All walks of life come here [Jordan Valley]. The army’s job is to make sure that everybody can live here in peace.” Division 96 covers 250 air miles and approximately 242.3 miles of territory, said the military official. The IDF created Division 96 a little more than a year ago.
The military official said that a critical piece of its multilayered defense is to build a new wall. “The army took everything we learned from 10/7 and revamped the wall.” The military official added the construction of the wall helps to explain why Palestinians are seeking to illegally enter Israel for employment: “They see the wall and realize that their time is now up to come in.”
He stressed there are legal entry points into Israel from the Jordanian side.
The multipronged new Israeli border system in the Jordan Valley is demarcated by three layers. The first layer is a military outpost, like the facility News Media toured. Named “European Goldfinch,” it is situated across from the defunct historical Adam Bridge, where two Jordanian military outposts are within eyesight.
The second layer of defense is the construction of a wall. And the third line of defense is the military bases that lodges Division 96. The IDF official said that the army also increased the number of reserve soldiers.
The Israeli army built another five battalions of soldiers who were never engaged in service or finished their service and wish to return to duty. The reservists “understood the point of history we are in” and their “love for Israel,” said the Israeli military official.
During Israel’s war with Iran, the clerical regime’s forces fired missiles into the Jordan Valley. The bunkers located in the outposts served as a refuge from Iran’s rockets.
First line of defense. An IDF military outpost sits on the Israeli side of Jordanian border. (Benjamin Weinthal for News Media)
The military bases inspected by News Media are located in Area C in the disputed West Bank territory, referred to by many Israelis by the region’s biblical names as Judea and Samaria. Nearly 500,000 Israelis and around 300,000 Palestinians live in Area C, which makes up 60% of the total area of Judea and Samaria. The Oslo Accords, which were signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993, stipulated military and civilian control over Area C was absorbed by the IDF.
The miltiary official said that “We have the same agenda as Jordan: To keep the border peaceful.”