A Palestinian bomb killed a woman at a bus stop in Israel on Sunday in an attack Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said proved the need to continue building a West Bank wall declared illegal by the World Court.

In his first public comments on Friday's non-binding opinion by the U.N.'s top legal body, Sharon said the bombing was carried out "under the auspices of the ruling", suggesting the decision would only encourage Palestinian violence.

"I want to make clear, the state of Israel absolutely rejects the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague," Sharon said. "It is a one-sided and politically motivated ruling."

In Bangkok, U.N. Security General Kofi Annan suggested that Israel ought to accept the World Court's ruling despite its security needs.

"While we accept that the government of Israel has the responsibility and duty to protect its citizens, any action it takes has to be in conformity with international law," Annan said.

Sharon said after the bombing at a bus stop in Tel Aviv during the morning rush hour that the construction of the 600-km (370-mile) wall "is the most reasonable measure to take against this criminal terrorism."

It was the first such Palestinian attack in Israel since March and departed from a pattern of suicide bombings over the past four years.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, claimed responsibility and said it was avenging Israel's killing of militants and civilians.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat condemned "the targeting of civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli."

Israeli hospital officials said one woman was killed and about 14 people were wounded in the blast, which occurred as a bus pulled up to the stop.

"I heard a massive explosion and ran to the scene," said Hagit Cohen, who lives one block away from the bus stop. "I thought it was the end of the world."

Wall helping to keep out bombers, Israel says

Israeli officials have said the 200 km (120 miles) of the West Bank wall completed so far have made it more difficult for suicide bombers to cross into Israel.

In a decision hailed by Palestinians, the World Court said the network of razor wire-tipped fences and towering cement walls snaking through occupied land in the West Bank violated international humanitarian law and should be torn down.

The project has separated thousands of Palestinians from their fields, schools and medical services -- hardship which Israeli leaders say is outweighed by the security the wall will offer people in the Jewish state.

The ruling heightened Israeli concern about international sanctions although its key ally, the United States, has vetoed U.N. Security Council resolutions against the Jewish state in the past.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Saturday Israel had asked Washington to intervene to prevent any U.N. moves against it. Washington has dismissed the U.N. court's intervention and the American on the 15-judge panel wrote a dissenting opinion.