(JNS.org) Farmers in Israeli communities near Gaza will receive some 120 portable shelters to protect the manual laborers who work the land, officials said on Wednesday.
The decision comes amid renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas. With fields close to the Gaza Strip border fence, agricultural workers in the south have frequently been the target of close-range rocket and mortar fire.
The shelters are to be placed in open areas where there are large concentrations of workers. These include greenhouses, as well as produce handling and processing facilities.
“We want to protect the Gaza-area communities, which defend our borders,” Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Yair Shamir (Yisrael Beiteinu) said, according to Israel Hayom. “As such, we have begun installing portable shelters that will serve the farmers and help them lead their daily lives and work the land. They will be able to continue farming without risking their lives and their workers’ lives, avoiding adverse economic effects.”