Quds City, Sept 6, SPA -- Israeli bulldozers has started flattening land for a separation barrier in a part of the West Bank that has been ignored up to now. The work began Sunday southwest of Hebron, the main Palestinian center in the southern West Bank. The construction came ahead of a visit by two senior Egyptian officials to the Palestinian areas. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman were to meet with Palestinian officials Monday to discuss Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Israel refuses to negotiate with the Palestinians, and Egypt has stepped in as a mediator, offering to help ensure security in Gaza after the pullout. The Gaza withdrawal, planned for next year, and the separation barrier are key elements of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's "disengagement" plan.
