Israel Strengthens Jordan Border as Iranian Threat Expands

JORDAN REMAINS ‘LAST HOLDOUT’ AS IRAN LOOKS TO CREATE NEW ‘TERROR FRONT’ ON ISRAELI BORDER

View from an IDF military watchtower overlooking the Jordan Valley. (Benjamin Weinthal for Fox News Digital)

The endurance of Middle East peace is at risk amid the sweltering, biblically historic Jordan Valley, where Joshua led the Jewish people into Israel.

The Jordan Valley is frequently mentioned in Scripture; John the Baptist conducted his ministry and baptisms, including those of Jesus, there. Tourists visit the region to explore its historical significance. Because of its role in the origins of Christianity and Judaism, the Jordan Valley has been called the “Original Bible Belt.”

During Israel’s seven‑front war against Iran and its allies, Fox News Digital reported that the regime and Hamas aimed to destabilize Jordan, according to regional experts.

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In 2024, Jordan saw protests supporting the Hamas terrorist organization.

Following Hamas’s killing of more than 1,200 people on October 7 — including over 40 Americans — the IDF is reactivating 45 military bases along the Israel‑Jordan border. These bases, constructed after the 1967 Six‑Day War, were inactive in the late 1990s. IDF Division 96 commands the extensive, bunker‑filled installations in the Jordan Valley.

An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital that since the start of the year, Division 96 has thwarted more than 20 smuggling attempts involving weapons and narcotics.

According to the military official, people from all walks of life come to the Jordan Valley, and the army’s role is to ensure everyone can live in peace. Division 96 encompasses roughly 250 air miles and about 242.3 miles of land. The IDF established Division 96 just over a year ago.

The IDF spokesperson said a key component of its multilayered defense is building a new wall. ‘We applied lessons from October 7 to revamp the wall,’ the official added, noting that the wall’s construction explains why Palestinians are now seeking illegal entry into Israel for work: ‘Seeing the wall, they realize their window of opportunity has closed.’

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He emphasized that legal entry points exist into Israel from the Jordanian side.

The new Israeli border system in the Jordan Valley consists of three layers. The first is a military outpost — ‘European Goldfinch’ — which Fox News Digital visited. It lies opposite the former historical Adams Bridge, where two Jordanian outposts are visible.

The second layer is a wall, and the third layer comprises the military bases housing Division 96. The IDF official noted that the army has also increased its reserve soldier numbers.

The Israeli army formed five additional battalions of soldiers who had never served or had completed service but now wish to return. The reservists ‘understand the historical moment we are in’ and ‘love Israel,’ the spokesperson said.

During Israel’s war with Iran, the clerical regime’s forces launched missiles into the Jordan Valley. The outpost bunkers provided refuge from Iran’s rockets.

The first line of defense: an IDF military outpost positioned on Israel’s side of the Jordanian border. (Benjamin Weinthal for Fox News Digital)

The military bases examined by Fox News Digital are situated in Area C of the disputed West Bank, known to many Israelis as Judea and Samaria. Approximately 500,000 Israelis and 300,000 Palestinians reside in Area C, which comprises 60% of Judea and Samaria’s total area. The 1993 Oslo Accords assigned military and civilian control of Area C to the IDF.

The IDF spokesperson said, ‘We share Jordan’s agenda: to keep the border peaceful.’

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