Israel’s Ministry of Defense is accelerating mine-clearance operations in the country’s eastern region to facilitate construction of a major security barrier along the border with Jordan. The Ministry’s Borders and Seam Administration and its Mine Clearance Authority have begun clearing extensive minefields along four sections of the planned barrier route. The eastern barrier project is being led by the ministry's Borders and Seam Directorate, together with its Engineering and Construction Division and the Israel Defense Forces' Central Command. Israel's planned eastern barrier is expected to eventually stretch about 500 kilometers (311 miles), from the Golan Heights in the north to Eilat in the south. Critics and regional analysts, however, argue that the project could further entrench Israeli control in the Jordan Valley and add pressure to Israel's already sensitive security and diplomatic relationship with Jordan.