Israel to Shorten West Bank Barrier Route

[La_Serpiente]

Israel to Shorten West Bank Barrier Route

JERUSALEM - Israel has decided to shorten the route of its West Bank security barrier in hopes of easing hardships on the Palestinians and receiving U.S. support for the structure, a senior aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) said Sunday.

Israel says it is building the barrier to block suicide bombers, but the project has received heavy criticism in large part because of the hardships it causes for Palestinians.

The barrier has virtually enclosed some Palestinian population centers, making it difficult for residents to reach jobs, schools, farmland and medical services in the West Bank.

In other developments, Israeli forces on Sunday killed a fugitive from the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites). In all, troops killed three Palestinian militants, including a leader of the Islamic Jihad group, over the weekend in Gaza.

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Israel to Shorten West Bank Barrier Route