JERUSALEM, 20 September 2004 — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the army to prepare itself for an evacuation under fire from the Gaza Strip where a Palestinian militant was shot dead in a botched bombing yesterday.

Sharon, who has faced heavy criticism from right-wing supporters that the pullout would be seen as an act of weakness by militant groups, told the weekly Cabinet meeting that the top brass must be ready to deal with attacks from Palestinians during next year’s evacuation. Army radio also reported that Sharon had ordered troops to retaliate immediately against any shooting, even if it comes from a civilian area.

All 8,000 Jewish settlers in Gaza are due to be pulled out of the territory next year along with Israeli troops. Palestinian groups have been trying to portray the planned pullout as a retreat by an army grown weary of attacks.

A member of Islamic Jihad was shot dead by Israeli forces in eastern Gaza yesterday as he tried to plant a bomb. Three other militants were wounded in the shooting near the Karni border crossing into Israel, Palestinian medical and security sources added.

An Israeli military source said the Palestinians had been shot as they were spotted approaching a security fence near Karni. Around 30 kilograms of explosives were found during a subsequent search.

Sharon’s Gaza pullout plan, which he will present in its entirety to next week’s Cabinet, forms part of a dual strategy to separate Israel from the Palestinians.

His government has also been building a controversial barrier across the West Bank despite widespread international criticism.

His Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said yesterday however he hoped to close the international debate over the project, predicting that Palestinian efforts to take the issue to the UN Security Council would fail.

Israel has suffered a series of blows at the hands of the United Nations over the barrier, including a decision by the International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest legal body, in July that parts built within the West Bank were illegal and should be torn down. That non-binding verdict was later endorsed by a vote among members of the UN General Assembly.

But Shalom told public radio he believed the EU heavyweights did not want the issue played out at the Security Council.

The Palestinian Authority, which has observer status at the UN, has been lobbying the Arab bloc to push for a Security Council resolution against the barrier.

While they are aware the United States would veto any resolution against the project, especially if it calls for sanctions, Palestinians believe a Security Council debate would add to the pressure on Israel.

Around 300 Palestinians took part in a protest yesterday against construction of the barrier in the south of the West Bank.

Israeli troops fired teargas and sound bombs in a bid to disperse around 300 protestors who had been trying to stop the heavy earth-moving equipment from working, southwest of the city of Hebron.

One protester was taken to hospital after being struck by officers who were wielding batons, while another six were treated on the spot for the effects of the teargas, Palestinian medics said. Israeli sources said four troops were also slightly injured in the protest.