Israel began constructing the Separation Wall in 2002 as a security measure to protect Israelis against “terrorism.” However, the International Court of Justice, at the request of the United Nations, declared that the wall is illegal for the following reasons: it is not justified on security grounds; it violates human rights law; and it constitutes de-facto annexation because 85% of the wall is within the Palestinian West Bank rather than the internationally recognized 1967 Green Line boundary. The wall cuts through Palestinian villages, homes, agricultural fields, and farmlands, separating families and dividing communities.
