How Israel’s separation wall compares with the Berlin Wall

In the occupied West Bank, a barrier of concrete and fencing cuts Palestinians off from their land, their families and nearby towns. Israel began building its separation wall in 2002. Planned to stretch 712km (442 miles), it runs deep inside Palestinian territory rather than along the boundary with Israel.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled it illegal. Built by East Germany in 1961 to stop its citizens fleeing to the West, it encircled West Berlin for 155km (96 miles), dividing the city and its people for 28 years. Since 2003, Palestinians have marked the same date as an international day of action against Israel’s wall, which is more than four times as long and still being built.

In urban areas, its concrete rises to about 9 metres (30ft), more than twice the height of Berlin’s. But the wall is more than a physical structure. It operates alongside a wider network of checkpoints, roadblocks, gates and permits that restricts Palestinian movement across the occupied territory.