In response to petitions filed by Palestinians and human rights groups, Israel's High Court of Justice has ruled that changes be made to the route of the separation fence in order to ease the burden and inconvenience imposed by the fence on Palestinian residents of the West Bank.

The Israeli Defense Ministry has since conducted changes to the security fence's route, dismantling and rebuilding dozens of kilometers of chain-link fence and concrete wall.

The ministry said that the construction of each kilometer of the fence costs about NIS 11 million (2.62 million dollars) in addition to the needed cost for dismantling the existing fence, compensating the Palestinian residents for any damage to property or crops.

However, the high court may order the relocation of an additional 8-11 kilometers of the fence in the near future, Ha' aretz said, citing sources in the Council for Peace and Security which works in collaboration with the court.

The total cost of changing the fence's route may reach roughly NIS 900 million (214.29 million dollars). Should the court go further and decide to alter the fence's "fingers" into the West Bank area of Ariel and Kedumim, the cost would reach NIS one billion (over 238 million dollars), said Ha'aretz.