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Source: https://www.jns.org/naval-arms-race-between-israel-and-hamas-picks-up-steam/
Israeli Navy Monitors Gaza to Prevent Infiltration by Sea
(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - The Israeli Navy is monitoring Hamas' naval force build-up in Gaza. At a control center just north of Gaza, soldiers monitor an array of high-tech sensors, aware that any blind spot could carry a heavy price for nearby Israeli civilian communities. A mere 5 km. separate Gaza's northern urban neighborhoods - filled with Hamas military operatives and weapons - from the coastal Israeli city of Ashkelon, as well as its power plant, a critical national site. Maj. Liran Blander, commander of the control center, said it "is entrusted with building up a naval picture of what is taking place on a number of levels. This includes monitoring what is above the surface - what vessels are in the area - and underwater." Cutting-edge cameras, radars and sonar sensors feed control rooms, staffed 24 hours a day by mostly female control supervisors. The tireless control supervisors spend six hours a day glued to radar and camera screens, and dispatch alerts to naval forces, if necessary. "They are the eyes of the country. It's not just a slogan," he said.