Israel's Defense Ministry will build a "smart" fence enclosing settlements near the Gaza Strip, military sources said Monday.

The planned fence will be equipped with an alarm system designed to alert Gaza Belt regional councils with any infiltration attempts, one of the sources was quoted as saying by the Walla news portal.

"Work has already begun in [Gaza Belt] communities," the source said.

"The goal is to become more alert to infiltrations as they happen on the ground, in face of threats from [nearby] Gaza - and there are many of them."

On Monday, the Israeli army announced the arrest of Palestinian, who had infiltrated into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

On July 7, Israel launched a seven-week military offensive on the Gaza Strip with the declared aim of ‘halting rocket fire’ from the Palestinian territory.

More than 2,150 Palestinians were killed – mostly civilians – and nearly 11,000 injured in the offensive in addition to the destruction of thousands of homes.

Over the course of the conflict, at least 72 Israelis – 67 soldiers and five civilians – were also killed.

The Israeli onslaught ended late last month with an indefinite cease-fire celebrated by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas as a strategic victory.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian man removes belongings from his house that witnesses said was damaged during the seven-week Israeli offensive, in the east of Gaza City September 29, 2014.

AA