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THE SECURITY PLAN
 

The UN agency tasked with managing and supervising the airport will conduct a robust inspection of all incoming cargo, passengers, and luggage of any incoming and outgoing planes. 

 

• Cameras will be placed throughout the airport to capture 24/7 footage that will be monitored by UN personnel. The feed will not be live in Israel but in the event of an emergency security problem, footage and information will be shared with the appropriate parties in Israel. 

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• International law mandates that every person, bag, parcel and piece of cargo must be screened before it is loaded onto a passenger aircraft.

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• Airport security canine units are recommended for passenger, luggage, and cargo inspection in addition to procedures listed below to alert for narcotics, weapons, guns, and other designated contraband items. 
   

Passenger Inspection: 

 

• There will be security personnel present and on patrol who are trained to detect behaviors of suspicious or anxious passengers. Personnel will engage with those passengers to gauge intentions and disposition. Former Director of Security at Ben Gurion Airport, Raphael Ron, calls “the passenger-oriented security system more focused on the ‘human factor’, based on the assumption that terrorist attacks are carried out by people who can be found and have been stopped through the use of this simple but effective security methodology” (Wagner 2014, 1). 

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• Upon entering the airport, walk-through metal detectors to screen passengers will be present. The machines screen passengers without physical contact. The machines can detect metallic and nonmetallic threats which may be concealed under passenger clothing.

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• If necessary, due to suspicious behavior or inconclusive results of the metal detector, physical pat-downs may be necessary for particular passengers.  
   

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Carry-on Luggage Inspection:

 

• Carry-on luggage is subject to scanning at three points when entering the airport compound and the airport itself.  

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• Security Checkpoint 1: 750 meters from airport terminal access point. 

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• Security Checkpoint 2: terminal access security check. 

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• Security Checkpoint 3: at the gate before boarding the aircraft.

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Checked Luggage Inspection: 

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• Checked luggage is subject to scanning at three points when entering the airport compound and the airport itself.  

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• Security Checkpoint 1: 750 meters from airport terminal access point. 

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• Security Checkpoint 2: terminal access security check. 

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• Security Checkpoint 3: at the gate before boarding the aircraft. 

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• Upon checking in, checked baggage will be provided to security personnel for security screening. Once the screening process is complete, the designated airline will transport checked baggage to the respective flight. If during the screening process security personnel notice suspicious shapes or packages, checked luggage will go through a physical search as well. 

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• Suspicious checked baggage may be put in a pressure chamber to trigger any possible explosive devices. 

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Cargo Inspection: 

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• Cargo is subject to scanning at Security Checkpoint 1, 750 meters from airport terminal access point and prior to being loaded onto the aircraft. 

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• Cargo x-ray scanners for both incoming and outgoing flights will be available to identify narcotics, explosives, weapons, knives, and firearms. 

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• All cargo must be weighed and inventoried to ensure only legal items are on board and accounted for. 

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 Security Perimeters:

 

• Layer 1: minimum 750 meters from the terminal access point.

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• Layer 2: terminal access security check at check in and bag drop off. 

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• Layer 3: right before boarding the aircraft there will be body and carry-on security checks.

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Coordination between the UN and the Palestinian Authority to address passenger passport/visa/security issues. 

 

• UN airport personnel and the Palestinian Authority will share passenger security information through a secure system to ensure that all passengers have valid identification documents and are cleared for travel. 

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• Travel documents issued by the PA in the West Bank and by the governments of Syria, Egypt or Jordan are acceptable. 

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• Establish an office that vets passengers’ reasons for traveling and ensures compliance with the stated reason. This will help track people who go abroad for nefarious reasons, including military training (for example in Hezbollah or Iran training camps). 

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• Establish a visa/entry permit verification system to ensure that passengers traveling can access their destinations.

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• Create a security mechanism system with local authorities in Gaza to keep track of people who have pending criminal cases and are not suitable for travel. 

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Prevent smuggling of contraband items into Gaza

 

• Smuggling contraband items is a legal offense and appropriate legal action will be taken against those who smuggle/attempt to smuggle contraband. 

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• All luggage and cargo to be loaded onto the aircraft will be carefully checked in accordance with airport security procedures to ensure contraband items are not present. 

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• Canine units will be present to check passengers, luggage, and cargo for illegal items. 

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Create an air marshal system whereby 2-4 armed and qualified marshals can be onboard all incoming and outgoing flights. 

 

• Each outgoing and incoming flight will have 2-4 armed Aviation Security Officers (air marshals) onboard who can take control of a situation and restrain the attackers in the event that it is necessary.

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• The Aviation Security Officers will be responsible for calming distressed passengers, addressing medical emergencies, and taking control of security situations. 

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• The Aviation Security Officer will be disguised to look like regular passengers. Each Aviation Security Officer is authorized to carry a Taser and make arrests when necessary.

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Categories of passengers who can fly:

 

• Students in pursuit of education abroad

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• Patients in need of treatment abroad 

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• Businesspersons

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• Individual and family visitors wishing to travel in and out of Gaza

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• Humanitarian, medical, and other NGOs and organizations operating in Gaza to support locals

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Protecting Gaza Airport from Small Drones

 

Project Unified Assistance (P.U.A.) is committed to providing safe and secure solutions for implementing a UN-operated humanitarian airport in Gaza. As technology evolves, new security issues emerge that affect the aviation industry worldwide. One such example of a new security threat is the increasingly popular use of commercial drones. Recently, small drones have proven to be a threat to manned aircraft with more than 300 near midair collisions reported between 2013 and 2015 in the United States alone (Stewart 2016). To mitigate this risk, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is partnering and conducting research with companies to thwart unmanned aircraft systems interfering with planes taking off and landing.

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In March 2016, the FAA reported 600 incidents of drones flying in close proximity to airports between September 2015 to March 2016 (Darrow 2016). According to Airbus EBS managing director Thomas Miller, “All over the world, incidents with universally available small drones have revealed a security gap with regards to major events or critical installations such as airports” (Darrow 2016). To combat these incidents, a company called Dedrone has started working with Airbus to bring its drone detection technology to airports to ensure safety. With the implementation of the airport in Gaza, PUA is determined to use all available and efficient technology developed by companies like Dedrone, DroneShield, and Drone Detector to combat the infiltration of Gaza airport airspace by unauthorized drones.

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For more information on drone detection and how it works, please click here.

 

References

 

Darrow, Barb. "Airbus Is Teaming With This Startup to Protect Airports from Drones." FortuneAirbus Is Teaming With This Startup to Protect Airports from Drones Comments. Fortune, 27 July 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2016.
http://fortune.com/2016/07/27/airbus-dedrone-protect-airports-from-drones/

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Stewart, Jack. "The Feds Are Arming Themselves to Drive Drones Out of Airports." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 13 June 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2016.

https://www.wired.com/2016/05/feds-arming-drive-drones-airports/

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