The Israel Defense Forces has begun planning a town in the Negev that will accommodate several army training camps currently located in the center of Israel, Haaretz has learned.

The town will be erected in the northern Negev, some ten kilometers south of the Ramat Hovav industrial zone. IDF planners received the go-ahead after the Ministry of the Environment and Ramat Hovav factories reached a settlement agreement on the treatment of environmental hazards, which delayed the army's final decision on whether to build the town.

The IDF has decided to begin operational planning before receiving the final approval from the government, however, which is expected to discuss the project only in two months' time.

	Advertisement

One of the stated objectives of the project, set to be completed within four years, is to ensure the hold of state lands by preventing the establishment of unlicensed Bedouin communities.

The large army base would also create jobs for professional army workers and generate greater economic activity in the region, thanks to the services it would rely on from nearby communities.

Training camp town would be home for seven camps currently located in central Israel, stretching over an area of 1,600 dunam, and accommodating over 10,000 soldiers. A train station would also be built near the town.

Chief architect of the construction department at the Ground Forces High Command, Hila Ro'imee, says "the city will be planned according to principles of 'green' construction, efficient energy consumption and suitability to climate conditions." Climate experts have begun taking measurements to ensure that constructions built at the site would not be exposed to dusty winds.

According to Ro'imee, a master plan has been completed recently by architect Rafi Lehrman, who has also been commissioned to draw the project's final and detailed plan.

The deadlock between the Ministry of the Environment and Ramat Hovav factories formed around concerns about soldiers' health in light of the proximity of the planned town to the industrial zone. The Health Ministry has warned that the pollution generated by the industrial zone and sewage pools pose a serious health hazard.

The IDF opted to rely in its decision to build the town on the agreement reached between the Ministry of the Environment and factory representatives within a mediation procedure. Under the agreement, the factories will observe stricter sewage treatment procedures and will act to reduce air pollution in exchange for a renewal of their business licenses.