Israeli cabinet approves renovation of 40km of Wall

Middle East Monitor  /  April 11, 2022

The high-level Israeli security cabinet yesterday approved funding to renovate sections of the illegal ‘Separation Wall’ that isolates the West Bank from Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s Office said.

According to a statement, ministers voted unanimously to allocate 300 million shekels ($93 million) to improve a 40 kilometre section of the Separation Wall.

“We will fight terror with all the tools available to us and we will win,” Bennett tweeted after the cabinet meeting.

“The barrier will be comprised of concrete, protective equipment and additional technological components,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Defence Ministry said that the wall “will be up to 9 meters (29.5 feet) high and will replace the fence that was built about 20 years ago,” pointing out that it is planning to start work in the coming weeks.

Late Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, suggested the erection of the Separation Wall in 1990s, but work only began during the Second Intifada in 2000.

Only 708 kilometres of the wall has been completed, comprising 62 per cent of the entire project.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion that the building of a barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and said construction must stop immediately and Israel should make reparations for any damage caused. Israel took no action with relation to this and continued to expand the structure.