Israeli authorities say a Palestinian suicide bomber set off an explosive charge today (Wednesday) near a vehicle in an Israeli Arab town north of Tel Aviv, killing himself and wounding at least two Israelis.

The attack took place early this morning in the town of Taibeh, close to the West Bank.

The incident comes as Israeli leaders consider a plan to protect Israelis in Jerusalem from further attacks by Palestinian militants.

Government officials discussed the plan Tuesday. It was submitted after this week's bomb attack by a Palestinian woman and a shooting attack by a Palestinian man on the same Jerusalem street last week.

Palestinian officials have warned that putting up any physical barriers to divide Arab East Jerusalem and the Jewish western part of the city would further escalate tensions.

Israel's Public Security Minister Uzi Landau denied that a wall would be built, but he did not elaborate.

Israeli media reports say the security plan includes installation of sophisticated detection equipment including thermal sensors and video cameras, roadblocks, special traffic routes and hundreds more police.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, and later built extensively on annexed land to solidify its claim to the area.

Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan warned the United States not to isolate the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, if it expects him to crack down on Palestinian militants. Speaking in Vienna Tuesday, Mr. Annan said it is difficult for Arafat to act against terrorists because he is being isolated and virtually under house arrest in the West Bank town of Ramallah. The U.S. government has become increasingly critical of Mr. Arafat, putting pressure on him to take concrete steps to end attacks against Israeli civilians.

(Reuters,Afp,Ap,Prev)

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