Pullout and Pull in

To date, the northern section of the wall, consisting of 213 kilometers, has been completed. It extends from Tirat Zvi in the north to Elkana in the center plus two segments in Jerusalem.

190 kilometers between Elkana and Jerusalem are currently under construction. The work is ongoing between Gush Etzion and Metzudat Yehuda, near Arad, and around the settlements of Ariel and Immanuel.

According to the Israeli defense ministry, the wall section between Elkana and Jerusalem will be finished between December 2005 and March 2006. Work in three segments of this section has been delayed by petitions to the High Court. 

The wall route in Jerusalem has been largely finalized, but problems remain in three areas; near A-Ram, south of Al-Azzariyeh and in the Bir Naballah enclave.

The construction of the southern section, from Gush Etzion to Metzudat Yehuda, is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

In two weeks, construction of the wall around the Gush Etzion settlement bloc will begin; in August work will start on the fence around the settlements of Beit Arye and Ofarim; and the wall section around the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim is currently in advanced planning stages.

The barrier planners are also designing a series of new roads with the aim of designating separate roads for Palestinians and settlers. One road from Bir Naballah to Qalandiyah and another between Bidu and Al Jib are under construction. In 10 days, the Public Works Department will start paving the ‘eastern ring road,’ which will provide the only link between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank. The road will run east of Ma’aleh Adumim.

In brief, the construction of the wall will be completed by the end of the year. During the same period, Palestinians will be busy preparing for and running local and parliamentary elections and Israel would have completed the implementation of the disengagement plan.

By the end of this process, Israel would have disengaged from the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians would be forced to disengage from at least half of the West Bank area.