Israel began work today on a controversial fence along the West Bank aimed at thwarting would-be suicide bombers amid fears Palestinian militants planned to step up their attacks.
Defence Minister Binyamin Mr Ben Eliezer made a brief inspection tour to launch the first stage of the project in northern Israel, a day after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a Palestinian attack on the Gaza Strip.
The fence has drawn bitter criticism from both Palestinians and right-wing Israelis and further raised tensions in the region with all eyes on Washington awaiting the latest US strategy for Middle East peace.
Work began on the first 120 kilometer (75-mile) stretch of the barrier aimed at cutting Israel off from the northern West Bank towns of Jenin, Tulkarem and Qalqilya, considered hotbeds of Palestinian militancy.
The full montage of fencing, trenches and walls with electronic surveillance equipment is to eventually stretch 350 kilometers (220 miles) along the "green line" between Israel and the West Bank and wind around Jerusalem.
In the latest violence, a Palestinian was shot dead today by Israeli troops while trying to cross a checkpoint near the northern West Bank town of Nablus.
Hours earlier, a group of soldiers apparently fell into an ambush late last night near the Dugit settlement in the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli military officials said.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and four injured, including one seriously, the army said in a statement Sunday. One of the three Palestinian gunmen was reported killed. AFP