In June 2002, Israel undertook one the largest projects in its history: the construction of a separation barrier along the occupied West Bank to protect itself following a spate of deadly Palestinian attacks. The barrier — designated as "segregation wall" by Palestinians and "security fence" by the Israeli government — is a complex mix of electronic fencing, buffer zones and slabs of concrete measuring up to nine meters. More than half of the barrier has already been built and it will measure approximately 709 kilometers once completed. So far, 90% of the barrier consists of a two-meter high electronic fence and 10% of an eight to nine-meter-high concrete wall. The construction has cost $2.6 billion and $260 million per year in maintenance.
Hailed as a victory by Israel's security establishment as deadly Palestinian attacks have effectively almost entirely stopped since the erection of the barrier, human rights defenders and the United Nations say it gravely compromises the Palestinians' freedom of movement and basic rights inside the West Bank, and between the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem. In fact, rather than following the internationally recognized 1949 armistice line, or Green Line, the barrier digs deeply inside the West Bank and separates hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their land, schools, places of work, hospitals and clinics. Israel has set up dozens of checkpoints and gates along the barrier to allow Palestinians to cross to the other side. However, Palestinians need to obtain a permit to access their land, and more often than not, their requests are rejected by Israel’s Civil Administration on security grounds or failure to provide sufficient proof of land ownership.