Israel-Egypt security fence nearly done

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said a security fence nearly completed along the nation's Egyptian border is a major step forward.

Netanyahu attended a ceremony Wednesday marking the completion of 144 miles of fence in the desert between the two nations. Only about seven miles remains to be built and it should be completed by March, the prime minister's office told Arutz Sheva.

With the continuing instability in Egypt riling tensions, Netanyahu said the fence is especially needed.

"For seven months, not one infiltrator has reached Israel's cities," Netanyahu said at the ceremony. "Just as we have stopped infiltration into Israel's cities, so too will we succeed in the next mission -- repatriating the tens of thousands of infiltrators in Israel to their countries of origin. We have already begun to do so."

The fence has taken two years to build and cost 1.2 billion shekels ($32 million).