Construction has begun on the first two sections—about 80 kilometers total—of the upgraded security barrier along Israel’s border with Jordan, the Defense Ministry said, noting it is working with the IDF to plan additional segments and develop the border’s overall defensive concept.

The full project, which will upgrade the entire 425-kilometer (264-mile) border from the Samar Sands near Eilat through the West Bank to the southern Golan Heights, is expected to cost roughly NIS 5.5 billion ($1.7 billion).