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Shortly after the fighting broke out in September 2000 Israeli troops carved out buffer zones next to their military outposts

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Shortly after the fighting broke out in September 2000, Israeli troops carved out buffer zones next to their military outposts.Troops have largely refrained from entering Palestinian towns and cities in Gaza. Their proposed withdrawal may mean retreating only a short distance or removing roadblocks.All 75 Palestinian suicide bombings have originated in the West Bank, making troop withdrawal there more complicated. Israeli troops occupied Bethlehem and six other major West Bank towns and cities after Palestinian attacks killed 31 Israelis in June.In the West Bank town of Nablus today, witnesses said several Palestinians were wounded – one seriously – in shooting between Palestinians and soldiers in the main market. Soon after, the army used explosives to destroy a house in the area. The army said it had discovered a bomb lab in the market and would release more details on the operation later.Also in the West Bank, villagers said troops shot and killed a 14–year–old Palestinian boy amid clashes between Palestinians and the army in a village near Jenin..

Custodians of the Forbidden City have drawn up secret plans for a three-storey museum under the sprawling palace in central Beijing to display masses of imperial artefacts that have never been shown to the public. But he neglected to mention the underground museum plans.China's most aggressive weekly news magazine, Southern Weekend, exposed the scheme, warning that it would compromise the soundness of the imperial halls above.The palace compound is built on a foundation of crisscrossing bricks and clay originally intended to keep the "earth dragon" at bay (to limit damage from the earthquakes that occasionally strike Beijing) and to allow rainwater to dissipate. Tampering with the foundation would only put the structure at risk – and without good reason, critics say. "When it comes to ancient architecture, the key principle for preservation is: keep the structure strong," said He Shuzhong, founder of the non-profit China Cultural Heritage Watch.Officials involved in the project dismiss the criticism. "These techniques have been proven, both at home and abroad," said one director, asking not to be named.

"Look at the Louvre in Paris, and our own subway system here in Beijing."An underground museum was the best option because it would not distract from the halls above ground and would save costs on air conditioning and external decorations. Besides, he pointed out, the plans called for excavation underneath the less exalted architecture of the imperial stables, which, like more than half the compound's 9,000 halls, had never been open to the public.Forbidden City officials say that even the 8,000 artefacts currently on display suffer because the ancient halls cannot be fitted with the necessary lighting, air conditioning or effective door and window fittings without irreparable harming the architecture.Mr He of Heritage Watch says the Palace Museum cannot be trusted anyway, as the Forbidden City is not currently fulfilling its role as showcase for China's cultural heritage. He points out that the Palace Museum does not have the resources or the skilled personnel to handle the relics properly. "It would be better to put them in a safety deposit box," he added.. Zimbabwe's government extended up its efforts to seize white-owned land yesterday, ignoring court orders and Western condemnation as it rounded up more farmers who had defied eviction notices.

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