(JNS) - The Israeli Defense Ministry has approved the purchase of more than 200 armored vehicles for civilian security squads in parts of the country facing increased security risk, including Judea and Samaria, the Gaza envelope and the Lebanon border.

The purchase is estimated to be worth around 150 million shekels ($41 million), the ministry announced on Tuesday.

The project is "intended to strengthen the resilience of the localities and the standby units" and provide a "quick response during a security incident," the announcement added.

Standby squads are made up of locals, usually former m...