Aida is a Palestinian refugee camp situated 2 kilometers North of Bethlehem and 1 kilometer North of Beit Jala in the central West Bank. Named after a famous coffeehouse (maqhah) located on the site in the early 1940s, Aida camp was established in 1950 and covered an area of 66 dunams. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the camp had a population of approximately 3,260 refugees in mid-year 2006. Aida refugee camp,Bethlehem , Palestine, 2012.

Supporters argue that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during the Second Intifada There has been a reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings since the construction of the barrier. Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. They argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security. Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem, Palestine, 2012.