Israel has accused the United Nations of hypocrisy after the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to rule on the legality of a barrier Israel is building in the West Bank.
But Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie today hailed the UN decision as a message from the international community to Israel to halt a project he said was aimed at predetermining the borders of a future Palestinian state.
Following the UN vote, officials at the International Court of Justice in the Hague said they expected to receive a formal request to give an advisory opinion on the barrier later today, but it could take months until they issued a legal opinion.
The ruling would not be binding but would carry moral weight and add to the diplomatic pressure on Israel.
Israeli premier Mr Ariel Sharon was criticised at home from a key partner in his ruling coalition who demanded the government change the route of the barrier because it seized too much Palestinian land and had drawn US criticism.
"The route decided . . . is not implementable because it is too long, too expensive and not acceptable to our allies, the Americans, and has stirred world opinion against us," Justice Minister Yosef Lapid wrote to Sharon in a letter yesterday.
His proposal to change the route of the 480-mile long barrier of razor-tipped fences, trenches and walls so that it follows more closely the border between Israel and the West Bank will likely be raised at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Palestinians call the barrier, which is planned to jut deep into the West Bank to surround Jewish settlements, a land grab by Israel that prejudges the borders of a future state.
Israel says the barrier is intended to prevent Palestinian militants who have carried out more than 100 suicide bombings from infiltrating into its cities to carry out more attacks.