Israel declares halt to wall
2004-08-23 16:53
Jerusalem - Israel announced on Monday a one-year delay of a large section of its West Bank barrier, citing a supreme court ruling that chunks of the structure caused too much hardship on the Palestinians.
Defence ministry official Danny Tirza, one of the barrier's planners, told Israeli parliamentarians that Israel would spend $6.6m rerouting a 60km stretch of barrier from the Jewish settlement of Elkana to Jerusalem.
He said the section wouldn't be completed until the end of 2005, a year behind schedule.
Construction has not begun on most of this section of the barrier.
In a precedent-setting decision, the Israeli supreme court ruled in June that a 30km section of the barrier must be rerouted because it violated Palestinian human rights and international law.
The International Court of Justice in The Netherlands issued a nonbinding advisory opinion in July declaring the barrier illegal and demanding Israel tear it down.
Court pressure on Israelis
Two weeks later, the United Nations general assembly passed a nonbinding resolution adopting the world court decision.
The two court decisions have put pressure on Israel to move the barrier closer to its 1967 frontier.
Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
The Palestinians want to build an independent state in the areas.
Although just one-quarter of the 680km barrier has been built, it has already severely disrupted Palestinian lives, separating many people from their fields, schools, workplaces and neighbouring towns and villages.
Israel says four years of violence forced it to build the barrier to prevent Palestinian militants from attacking its towns and cities.
However, some sections of the structure dip deep into the West Bank.
Palestinians condemn the barrier as an attempt to grab chunks of West Bank land they want for their future state.
- SAPA