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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2008/sep/11/israelandthepalestinians

The Israeli West-Bank barrier is a barrier being constructed by the State of Israel, consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 meter wide exclusion area (90%) and high concrete walls up to 8 meters high (10%). It is located roughly on Israeli-occupied territories in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Jordan which now demarcates the West Bank, which is entirely on occupied Palestinian territory.

As of April 2006, the length of the barrier as approved by the Israeli government is 703 kilometers (436 miles) long. Approximately 58.04% has been constructed, 8.96% is under construction, and construction has not yet begun on 33% of the barrier. The Jerusalem Post reported in July 2007 that the barrier may not be completed until 2010, seven years after it was originally supposed to be finished.

The barrier is highly controversial and has been referred to as the Aparthaid Wall. Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Therefore they argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security, violates international law, has the intent or effect to pre-empt final status negotiations, and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel.

In a 2004 finding, the International Court of Justice declared that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self‑defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall. Construction of the barrier is "contrary to international law." Yet depsite such objections Israel has continued to build this Aparthaid Wall.

Settler opponents, by contrast, condemn the barrier for appearing to renounce the Jewish claim to the whole of the Land of Israel.

Two similar barriers, the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier and the Israeli-built 7-9 meter (23 - 30 ft) wall separating Gaza from Egypt (temporarily breached on January 23, 2008), have been much less controversial in the media. However this has turned the Gaza Strip in to a giant prison and is causing an immense amount of suffering to innocent Palestinian people. Such collective punshiment goes against Forth Geneva Convention.