Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed on Monday to press ahead an ongoing massive military offensive in the Gaza Strip to free a kidnapped soldier and halt Palestinian rocket attacks while defending his plan to withdraw from more settlements in the West Bank.

Speaking to foreign media at a news conference, Olmert reiterated that there would be no timetable for the Israeli offensive in Gaza, saying that Israel had the right to ensure the security of its citizens.

Olmert slammed the Palestinian militant rocket attacks as " aiming to kill innocent Israelis", adding that Israel had no choice but to take some measures to defend itself.

The prime minister also rejected criticism by the European Union over the Israeli military moves in Gaza, rebuking the pan- Europe bloc for not condemning the Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel.

"When was the last time that the European Union condemned this shooting and suggested effective measures to stop it?" Olmert said. "At some point, Israel had no choice but to take some measures in order to stop this thing."

Olmert said that there would be no Israeli military action in Gaza if Palestinian militants halted rocket firing and attacks against innocent Israeli civilians.

Israel says that the massive Gaza operation, launched on June 28, is aimed to free an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants during a cross-border raid on an Israeli army post on June 25 and prevent Palestinian militants from firing rockets.

It is the first such large-scale push by Israeli troops into Gaza since Israel completed withdrawing soldiers and settlers from it last September after 38 years of occupation.

NO PRISONER SWAP

Meanwhile, Olmert again ruled out releasing Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for the kidnapped Israeli soldier or negotiate with the Palestinian ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to help win the soldier's freedom.

"Trading prisoners with a terrorist bloody organization such as Hamas is a major mistake that will cause a lot of damage to the future of the state of Israel," he said.

Olmert also accused Hamas leaders of being directly involved in the abduction.

But the prime minister said that Israel was not seeking to topple the Palestinian government led by Hamas which calls for Israel's destruct.

"We have no particular desire to topple the Hamas government as a policy," he said.

Palestinian militant groups taking Shalit hostage have demanded Israel release Palestinian women and minors and 1,000 Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for the 19- year-old Gilad Shalit.

Hamas' armed wing took part in the June 25 raid on the Israeli army post, during which Shalit was kidnapped and two other Israeli soldiers were also killed.

But the Hamas-led Palestinian government said that it did not order the attack and had no foreknowledge of the abduction, accusing Israel of using the abduction as a pretext to topple its rule.

On Saturday, Olmert rejected a ceasefire offer made by Palestinian Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haneya, saying that Israel would not agree to any truce until the Palestinian militant groups free the kidnapped soldier and stop firing rockets at Israeli cities.

On the other hand, the Israeli army said that it would intensify and broaden the scope of raids into the Gaza Strip in the coming days, adding that the offensive was likely to last two months.

About 50 Palestinians including civilians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since the start of the Israeli operation.

DETERMINED ON MORE WITHDRAWALS

Olmert, who is a staunch supporter of the Gaza pullout, also defended his realignment plan, under which Israel will quit isolated settlements in the West Bank and consolidate bigger ones.

He said that the plan was "the only solution" to ending the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, which he said would help the Palestinians build an independent state and help Israel get necessary protection to ensure safety.

Olmert also said that violence could not halt a process of separating the Israelis and Palestinians that began with the Gaza withdrawal.

In addition, he said that the plan would be carried out in a " friendly" manner.

"We want to separate in a friendly manner and to live alongside each other... in a peaceful way," he said.

"If the terrorist organizations will impose a violent confrontation, both Israelis and Palestinians will have to bear the consequences. That can't stop the inevitable process of separation of the Israelis and Palestinians," he added.

The Israeli prime minister pledged commitment once again to the two-state solution backed by the international society, which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

Olmert, meanwhile, warned that if peace efforts remained stalled, he would carry out the withdrawals from the West Bank unilaterally, just as Israel implemented the unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip last year.

As a first step, Olmert said, he expected to begin uprooting unauthorized outposts in the West Bank in the near future.

Olmert has made the realignment plan a priority for his government, vowing to draw the final borders with the Palestinians by 2010, in a unilateral way in case of the absence of peace talks with the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua