The State Prosecution informed the High Court of Justice on Thursday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have decided to significantly alter the course of the security fence near the settlement of Maale Adumim, moving it to the west and leaving some 1,000 acres east of the fence.

The decision was made following to petitions regarding the route of the fence in the area of Maale Adumim.

The petitions were filed by residents of Abu Dis and al-Azaria who said the fence restricted their movement, annexed their land and made them feel suffocated. The Council for Peace and Security, a voluntary association of national security experts, joined the petitions informally last year.

"The Council is convinced of the necessity of erecting an obstacle between Jerusalem and its surroundings to prevent the unmonitored passage of Palestinians into population centers in Israel; the entry of terrorists and arms into our territory," the council wrote in its affidavit ahead of Thursday's court session.

"Unfortunately, the barrier that was planned and approved by the government of Israel does not satisfy the security needs. The daily needs of the Palestinians and Israel's security needs clash throughout the entire region. We cannot ignore the fact that the current route turns Abu Dis and al-Azaria into a surrounded enclave that is detached from east Jerusalem and the northern West Bank."

The construction of the security barrier around Jerusalem is aimed at preventing the infiltration of terrorists into the capital. During the project's initial phase a fence will be erected to separate Givat Zeev and Ramallah, while the second segment of the barrier will divide Bethlehem and Jerusalem.