Israel Begins Barrier Construction in Southern West Bank
VOA News
05 Sep 2004, 16:42 UTC
Israel has begun construction on a portion of the security barrier near the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank.
Bulldozers were seen moving stones and flattening earth in the area Sunday.
Israeli officials said the start of work was unrelated to last week's suicide bombings that killed 16 people in nearby Beersheva, saying the construction had been planned for months.
Israel says the security barrier is needed to prevent terrorist attacks, while Palestinians say it extends deeply into their land.
Meantime, Palestinian gunmen briefly took over a governor's office in southern Gaza, demanding assistance for families left homeless by Israeli raids last week.
Palestinians say at least 40 families in Khan Younis lost their homes in the Israeli raids.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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