Israel plans new airport in south, an hour from Gaza border

Israel's Economic Affairs Committee on Sunday gave its final approval to a plan to build another international airport in the south of the country, not far from the area near the border with Gaza where Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

According to a bill pending approval in parliament, the airport would be built in the town of Nevatim, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) - less than an hour's drive from the Gaza border and adjacent to a military airbase in the Negev desert that is home to F-35 fighter jets.

The airbase was targeted by Iranian missiles last October.

The new airport, some 132 kilometers from Tel Aviv, would take seven years to build and handle up to 15 million passengers annually, according to the bill before parliament.

The project is intended to help alleviate traffic at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and bolster the economy in the country's south by creating around 50,000 jobs, particularly from the nearby Bedouin community.

Israel's military and security establishment have opposed the project due to its proximity to the airbase.


Reuters