Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has congratulated his troops on their "impressive success" after a raid in the West Bank killed a senior commander of the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Describing the operation as "the most important in two months", Mr Ben Eliezer told army radio the raid "allowed us to eliminate a terrorist responsible for the deaths of 117 Israelis".

There was not a single one of the bloodiest attacks of the last few months in which this terrorist was not involved

Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer

But Hamas reacted to the news by vowing in a statement that the killing of its leaders would only lead to more suicide bombers lining up to attack Israel.

Muhanad al-Taher was shot dead when the Israeli special forces raided his hideaway in the northern West Bank city of Nablus Sunday. Another man was killed and a third injured in the swoop.

Sources within Hamas described Mr al-Taher as a leading bomb-maker in the group's military wing, Izzadine al-Qassam.

Suicide attacks

"There was not a single one of the bloodiest attacks of the last few months in which this terrorist was not involved," said Mr Ben-Eliezer.

He said Muhanad al-Taher was one of the people behind a suicide bombing which killed 19 people on a Jerusalem bus on 18 June, as well as another bomb strike in the city the following day which left seven dead.

Hamas: 'Our people cannot forget the blood of their heroes'

Mr Ben-Eliezer also implicated Mr al-Taher in the Netanya hotel suicide bombing in which a Hamas militant killed 29 people celebrating the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

That blast, the bloodiest since the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began in September 2000, triggered the largest Israeli invasion of the West Bank since the territory was seized in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the killing "a very important operation" of self-defence for Israel.

But Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab called Mr al-Taher's killing a "dirty crime" and said "Our people cannot forget the blood of their heroes and their people killed."

Security fence

News of Mr al-Taher's killing came as construction began in Jerusalem of a new electronic security fence that will eventually stretch 50 kilometres (30 miles).

The fence had been planned for some time, but the project was brought forward because of recent Palestinian suicide attacks.

Reports say the fence will cover the three sides of the city - north, south and east - that border the West Bank. In places it will be 4.5 metres (about 15 feet) high.

The fence will border three sides of Jerusalem

Its section for the northern and southern ends of the city will be completed within three months, Defence Ministry official Amos Yaron said.

The barrier along the east side of the city will be left for later, because it "is much more complicated" with many Palestinian neighbourhoods in the area, Mr Yaron said.

Mr Ben-Eliezer attended a ceremony during the weekend to launch the building work.

He has spearheaded the current military campaign, which has seen the Israeli army take control of seven of the eight main towns in the West Bank, and confine more than 700,000 Palestinians to their homes.