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Olmert issues last-minute warning to Hamas
Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:09am EST
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By Adam Entous and Ari Rabinovitch
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday issued a "last-minute" appeal to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to reject their Hamas rulers and stop rocket fire at Israel, warning them he would not hesitate to use force.
His comments were the clearest indication yet that Israel may launch a Gaza offensive which could result in heavy casualties on both sides and fuel a humanitarian crisis.
"I didn't come here to declare war," Olmert told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster widely watched in Gaza.
"But Hamas must be stopped -- that is the way it is going to be. I will not hesitate to use Israel's might to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad. How? I will not go into details now," Olmert said, according to a statement issued by his office.
Olmert has resisted growing calls within Israel for a major military operation against Hamas, but rocket and mortar fire from the coastal enclave since a six-month truce brokered by Egypt expired last week has increased pressure on him to act.
Olmert's warning came during emergency talks in Cairo between Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a leading candidate to replace him in a February 10 election, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt cautioned against an escalation but acknowledged there was little it could do for now.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the situation "very difficult" and urged world powers to avert a crisis that could result in Israel re-occupying Gaza. Israel pulled Jewish settlers out in 2005.
ROCKET FIRE "UNBEARABLE"
Livni said Islamists had to pay a price, describing the rocket fire as "unbearable" and declaring: "Enough is enough."
Israeli army chief Gabi Ashkenazi said the military would have to act with "all our force to hurt the terrorist infrastructure and change the security reality."
There is broad support in Israel for a strong response. Even Meretz, a left-wing voice for peace with the Palestinians, said the government must consider "almost any means" to stop the rocket fire, from military action to dialogue.
Since the ceasefire ended on Friday, more than 200 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel, causing damage but few injuries, the Israeli army said.
During the same period, six Palestinian militants have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Militants fired more rockets after an Israeli military court on Thursday sentenced a Palestinian militant leader, Ahmed Saadat, to 30 years in prison. Israel alleged he was involved in the 2001 killing of a cabinet minister. Continued...
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