JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli High Court of Justice okayed on Monday the route of a planned separation fence to be constructed in a disputed land in the West Bank.

    The fence route is located in the Modi'in area, a large settlement on the Israel-West Bank border.

    The route has been modified and set further to the west, some 75 meters away from the Green Line, or the pre-1967 borders between Israel and the West Bank.

    "We have agreed that under existing circumstances, the military's decision falls within the limits of reason," Judges Aharon Barak, Dorit Beinish and Ayala Procaccia wrote in their ruling after rejecting appeals filed by residents living in the area.

    Residents wanted to change the route because they said the fence fell too close to their homes.

    Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper said the land where the fence is located belongs to residents of the neighboring Palestinian village of Bilin.

    Israel cited security reasons when it started the construction of the 600-km separation fence two years ago, and over 370 km has been completed. Enditem