Israel to redraw route of West Bank barrier

ISRAEL is redrawing the route of its West Bank barrier closer to its borders to try to ensure Palestinians are not cut off from their lands in line with an Israeli High Court order, security sources said yesterday.

The World Court, the UN's top judicial arm, branded the barrier illegal and called for its removal in a non-binding opinion last week rejected by Israel and hailed by Palestinians.

Two senior US security envoys held talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about the repercussions of the World Court decision, unauthorised Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank and his plan to withdraw settlers from Gaza in 2005.