Palestinian men and women wait at a checkpoint in Bethlehem, on September 29, 2006, to cross the newly constructed Israeli Separation Wall, which cuts through the occupied West Bank and severs roads that once connected Palestinian towns to Jerusalem. The scene unfolded as Palestinian Muslims sought to leave Bethlehem and its surrounding areas to perform Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the first Friday during the holy month of Ramadan.
On that day, the Israeli army enforced restrictions allowing only Palestinian men aged 45 and above to pass through the checkpoint to attend noon prayers at the mosque, citing security concerns. The Separation Wall—comprising concrete walls, fences, and watchtowers—had been under international scrutiny since its construction began in 2002 during the Second Intifada. In 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion declaring that sections of the approximately 650-kilometer structure that was built inside the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT) were illegal and should be dismantled.