Court orders changes to barrier
2004-06-30 11:07
Jerusalem - Israel's high court on Wednesday ordered the army to alter some sections of the route of the West Bank barrier in order to protect the rights of tens of thousands of Palestinians living north of Jerusalem.
A judgment issued in response to a petition filed by residents and rights groups ruled that while the barrier could be justified for security reasons, the army was also bound to take into account the impact on residents.
"The additional margin of security achieved by the current path of the fence is not equal to the current path's additional infringement on the local inhabitants' rights and interests," said a summary of the judgment received by AFP.
"The current balance between security considerations and humanitarian considerations is disproportionate.
"The court ruled that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) Commander should reduce the infringement upon the local inhabitants, even if it cannot be totally avoided, by altering the path of the fence in most areas complained of in the petition.
The judgment means that modifications will have to be made to a 40km stretch of the barrier to the north and west of Jerusalem.
- AFP