The court said the changes must be made, even at the risk of reducing Israeli security.

Israel says the barrier is needed to block Palestinian suicide bombers from the West Bank. Palestinians have said the complex of fences, trenches and razor wire is a land grab.

The construction dips deep into the West Bank in some areas, and has disrupted the lives of thousands of Palestinians. About a quarter of the 680-km barrier has been completed.

"The route disrupts the delicate balance between the obligation of the military commander to preserve security and his obligation to provide for the needs of the local inhabitants," the ruling said.

The June 30 case focused on a 40-km stretch of the barrier northwest of Jerusalem but was seen as setting a precedent for other challenges to the barrier.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 10, 2004
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