Only a few months before the official opening of one of Christianity's holiest sites, the area where John the Baptist is believed to have baptized Jesus remains surrounded by thousands of land mines.
The Israeli government has promised the site known as Qasr el-Yahud is already safe since it is routinely visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists, but advocacy groups are deeply concerned about the dangers.
This site is Christianity's third holiest; after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem where it is believed Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where church tradition teaches Jesus was born.
Israel have controlled the site since the 1967 Six-Day War, but there have always been security concerns because of leftover land mines. The ancient churches and monasteries in the area, which date back to the fourth century, are surrounded by signs reading "Danger! Mines!"
Thousands of people currently visit the site annually, but with the official opening this figure could rise to millions thereby increasing the dangers, although it is claimed by the Israeli government that the baptism site and adjacent churches are located in a completely mine-free zone, and thus pose no danger is posed to tourists or worshipers.
"The [army] regularly clears away minefields in the Jordan River Valley, and in the last year alone approximately 8,000 mines have been removed from the area," a recently released statement declared.
The site is right on the border with Jordan, who cleared the minefields on their side after signing a peace deal with Israel in 1994.
Jordan has developed a cultural heritage center across the narrow river from the West Bank shrine, claiming it as the true site of the baptism. Pope John Paul II visited this site in 2000, reinforcing its claim.