Since 2002, Israel has been constructing a wall that stretches for more than 700 kilometres, annexing Palestinian land inside the occupied West Bank

Israel began building its separation wall in the occupied West Bank in June 2002, claiming that it was necessary for security. The wall, which has drawn international condemnation, cuts deep into Palestinian territory and has resulted in the confiscation of large swathes of fertile Palestinian land, the ghettoisation of Palestinian towns and villages, and has cut off thousands of Palestinians from social services, schools, and farmland. In some places, the separation wall runs along the Green Line, but most of its route lies inside the West Bank – sometimes by many kilometres (when completed, the wall will be more than double the length of the 340 km-long Green Line). On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that construction of the wall was “contrary to international law” because it involves the destruction and confiscation of Palestinian property and imposes severe restrictions on Palestinian movement. Further, the Court stated that Israel must “cease forthwith the works of construction of the wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including in, and around East Jerusalem,” return seized property and compensate Palestinian landowners whose interests have been damaged by its construction.