Home>News Center>World
             
     

    Israel tells court W.Bank barrier route may change
    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2004-02-10 09:10

    Israeli state attorneys told the Supreme Court Monday the route of a barrier designed to stop suicide bombers, which cuts deep into the occupied West Bank, would probably be revised to ease Palestinian hardship.

    "The fence route will probably be moved, and a change of policy in the seam-line area is being considered in order to ease as much as possible the lives of the Palestinians living in it," attorney Michael Blass told the two-hour hearing.

    An Israeli army humvee drives on the patrol road beside a fence and barbed wire forming part of the security barrier Israel is building to separate from the West Bank near the city of Jenin February 9, 2004.  [Reuters]
    Completed parts of the barrier have restricted Palestinians' access to fields, schools and neighboring villages and two Israeli civil rights groups had petitioned the court to declare illegal the planned route of the barrier, looping deep into the West Bank to encircle Jewish settlements.

    It was not clear when the judges would rule. The World Court in The Hague is to look at the same issue later this month.

    The petitioners pursued the case despite signals from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office that Israel intended to shorten the route, making it follow the pre-1967 war boundary with the West Bank more closely in a bid to secure U.S. support.

    Parliamentary allies opposed to Sharon's plan to evacuate settlers from the Gaza Strip dealt him an embarrassing blow by abstaining in a confidence motion. He survived the second such vote in a week with only a few more votes than the opposition.

    Israel has so far built 93 miles of the planned 450-mile barrier of wire fences and cement walls.

    PALESTINIAN RESPONSE

    In court, Israel said the barrier had stopped suicide bombers from reaching its cities, where hundreds have died in attacks since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000.

    "The basic reason for the barrier is the duty the government has to protect the right to life of its citizens," Blass said.

    The International Court of Justice is to open hearings in The Hague on Feb. 23 at the behest of the United Nations. Its opinion will not be binding.

    In a separate challenge to Israel, Palestinian leaders were considering whether to declare a state unilaterally in the West Bank and Gaza. A senior Palestinian official said it could counter an Israeli threat to give up on efforts to negotiate a peace and take go-it-alone steps to disengage from the conflict.

    "This is one of the options that are being studied in response to Sharon's unilateral plan and to try to foil it," said the official, Yasser Abed Rabbo.

    Unilateral moves could wreck a U.S.-backed peace "road map." It calls for an end to violence, confidence-building steps and negotiations leading to creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie urged the Quartet of world powers to revive efforts to implement the road map.

    "I think it is time for the Quartet to move, at a high level, to push the peace process back on track," he said in Dublin, referring to the U.S.-EU-U.N.-Russia grouping.

    The U.S. envoy to Israel told a group of rabbis U.S. President Bush was "firmly committed" to peace efforts: "Let no one suggest that the interests of the administration are waning even during this election year," Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer said.

    He also criticized a Palestinian trial of four suspects over the killing of three Americans in Gaza, saying it should not be held behind closed doors and that the charges be tougher.

    Sharon, 75, had a hospital operation on kidney stones on Monday and aides said he would recuperate at home for some time.

     
      Today's Top News     Top World News
     

    How 'sea turtles' turned out to be 'seaweeds'?

     

       
     

    'Chicken products safe for consumers'

     

       
     

    Central bank denies rumors of RMB revaluation

     

       
     

    Drownings lead to probe into people smuggling

     

       
     

    Urbanization important for farmers' income

     

       
      Israel tells court W.Bank barrier route may change
       
      Document appears to seek al Qaeda help in Iraq
       
      Mystery swirls round missing Russian politician
       
      Powell: Pakistan must uproot proliferation network
       
      UN makes urgent appeal for DPRK food aid
       
      UN team meets with Iraq council
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
      Related Stories  
       
    Seeking US nod, Israel redraws W.Bank barrier
       
    Almost 400 members of Arafat's Fatah quit
       
    Israeli strike kills Jihad leader,boy
       
    Israel considers moving Gaza settlers to West Bank
       
    Sharon ready for referendum on scrapping settlements
       
    Sharon sets gov't shaking with Gaza pullout plan
      News Talk  
      The evil root of all instability in the world today  
    Advertisement
             
    性无码专区一色吊丝中文字幕| 中文字幕无码精品三级在线电影 | 国产无码区| 日韩AV片无码一区二区三区不卡| 中文字幕在线观看亚洲视频| 无码国产色欲XXXX视频| 日日麻批免费40分钟无码| 欧美中文字幕一区二区三区| 久久久无码精品午夜| 无码中文字幕日韩专区视频| 中文无码喷潮在线播放| 日韩久久久久久中文人妻| 性无码专区一色吊丝中文字幕| 亚洲av无码国产精品色午夜字幕 | 熟妇人妻不卡中文字幕| 岛国av无码免费无禁网| 人妻少妇偷人精品无码| 暴力强奷在线播放无码| 一本本月无码-| 亚洲欧美日韩中文字幕二区| 中文字幕丰满乱子伦无码专区| 狠狠精品干练久久久无码中文字幕| 性无码专区无码片| 亚洲精品无码午夜福利中文字幕 | 精品国产aⅴ无码一区二区| 中文字幕高清有码在线中字| 少妇人妻88久久中文字幕| AV色欲无码人妻中文字幕| 无码人妻丰满熟妇啪啪| 亚洲AV无码资源在线观看| 无码人妻一区二区三区精品视频 | 全球中文成人在线| 亚洲免费日韩无码系列| 亚洲 无码 在线 专区| 亚洲午夜无码久久久久小说| 中文字幕国产精品| а√天堂中文官网8| 最近2022中文字幕免费视频| 中文字幕在线免费看线人| 无码精品A∨在线观看十八禁| 曰韩人妻无码一区二区三区综合部|