RAFAH, Aug 12: Israeli army bulldozers demolished 15 houses in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah near the Egyptian border early Thursday, Palestinian security sources said.

An Israeli spokesman confirmed the destruction of "several empty houses which had been used as cover for attacks" against troops deployed along the border between Gaza and Egypt.

Residents also reported that a building was badly destroyed when an Israeli helicopter fired two rockets late Wednesday. A group of around 15 locals who have lost their homes in the Rafah destructions in recent days staged a protest at the local governor's office Thursday demanding a greater effort to rehouse them.

The United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA has said a total of nearly 1,500 houses had been destroyed in the Rafah region since the September 2000 start of the Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation.

SECURITY: In Al Quds, Israeli security forces remained on a heightened state of alert and sealed off the northern West Bank town of Jenin on Thursday, following a botched Palestinian bombing at a checkpoint close to Al Quds.

"We are maintaining the state of alert because of the risk of an attack and as we continue our search to track down all the terrorists," city police said. Police reinforced roadblocks around the disputed holy city and were preventing all Palestinians from travelling beyond the Ar-Ram checkpoint at the northern entrance to annexed east Jerusalem.

Two Palestinian civilians were killed and 18 people were wounded, including Israeli border guards, in Wednesday's attack at a temporary roadblock near the Palestinian refugee camp of Qalandiya.

The roadblock had been erected following intelligence that militants were planning an attack in the heart of Al Quds. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack, which was criticized on Thursday by Palestinian premier Ahmed Qorei.

"This kind of operation runs counter to the interests of the Palestinian people," Qorei told reporters at his West Bank offices after a meeting with a five US congressmen.

But Qorei also said that Israel must take a share of responsibility for the attack for its continued "incursions and assassinations" which prompted militants to take their revenge.

Military radio reported that the army had surrounded the northern West Bank town of Jenin, the stronghold of the Al-Aqsa Brigades. Six of the injured were border policemen, three of whom were said to be still in a critical condition in hospital.

The blast went off in an area where Israel's West Bank barrier is due to be built, but construction has been temporarily suspended after an Israeli court order.

Israel's Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim said Thursday that "Israel's ability to prevent attacks will be limited" if the court continues to delay construction work. -AFP