Israel to install ID system at Gaza checkpoint in January

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 04, 2003

Israel to install ID system at Gaza checkpoint in January

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The Israeli military will install in January a high-tech identification system at a Gaza checkpoint in an effort to speed up passage of Palestinian workers and limit friction with Israeli soldiers, Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the Basel System, developed by Israeli company On Track Innovations Ltd. (OTI), uses two biometric sensors to read the facial dimensions and hand geometry of Palestinian workers crossing through the Erez checkpoint.

The Erez checkpoint, at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, is the main crossing into Israel for Palestinian workers. Before violence erupted in September 2000, tens of thousands of workers crossed every day.

Since then, Israel has severely restricted entrance, concerned about terrorists sneaking into the country under the guise of workers. Interrogations and checks of workers at Erez sometimes take hours, and workers have complained bitterly about the long wait.

Currently, about 10,000 Palestinian laborers parade every morning through the narrow passageways of the Erez checkpoint, showing soldiers their laminated identification cards before they travel to construction or agricultural jobs. If a card is believed to be fake, its owner can be held up for hours while it is checked.

The new OTI system is designed to increase security while speeding up the check at the same time.

The Basel System "will significantly improve the security, the speed and the relationship between Palestinian workers and the soldiers," Bashan said. "The Palestinians crossing will not need tobe interrogated."

Workers will carry contactless smart cards. The cards, their heads and their hands will be scanned to make sure that all information matches before they are let through the checkpoint.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The military is known to have lists of Palestinians suspected of militant activity who are not given permission to enter Israel.

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