Sappers Clear Hundreds of Mines From Jesus' Baptism Site – Report

The mine clearing was conducted with the help of a British NGO called the HALO Trust, with Israeli Defence Ministry’s National Mine Action Authority head Marcel Aviv expressing hope that all mines and booby traps in the area will be removed by 2020.

About 1,500 landmines had been cleared from the vicinity of Qasr el Yahud, a site located on the banks of the Jordan River and which is believed to be the place where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist, The Times of Israel reports.

According to the newspaper, this undertaking was made possible due to joint efforts by Israeli Defence Ministry and a British NGO called the HALO Trust.

"This Christmas/holiday season, the HALO Trust has reached a pivotal point in our work to clear the Baptism Site of landmines and other remnants of war," James Cowan, the CEO of HALO Trust, said.

Israeli Defence Ministry’s National Mine Action Authority head Marcel Aviv also said that he hopes the mine clearing will be completed by early 2020.

"In 10 to 20 years, we will have all mines in Israel cleared… It’s our vision that there will be no land mines on the borders of Israel," he added.