Israel rerouting barrier near West Bank village

The move comes 2 1/2 years after Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the barrier must be moved to ease the hardship of Palestinians in the village of Bilin. Some Palestinians welcomed the development but stressed it fell far short of their demand to dismantle the entire enclosure.

Weekly protests have made Bilin a symbol of the Palestinian struggle against the barrier, which they say is a land grab because it juts into territory Palestinians claim for a future state and puts West Bank land on the "Israeli" side.

Six protesters have been killed and dozens injured in clashes with Israeli forces over the structure.

Bulldozers were on site Thursday and tracks for the new route were being laid down. Anti-barrier activist Khatib Abu Rahmeh said the Israeli military informed village officials that the new route would return 346 acres (140 hectares) of farmland to the village and adjacent communities.

Once the new route is built, the section of barrier currently standing around Bilin will be removed, Abu Rahmeh said. "It's a victory for our struggle, but still a small victory until we achieve the big one: Removing the wall," he said.