Israel has no desire to kill any residents in Gaza Strip, but it will not tolerate the barrage of rocket attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday, shortly after an Israel Air Force raid in Gaza killed two people.
"We have no special desire to kill anyone of Gaza's residents, but we cannot tolerate the unending firing of rockets on Israel's citizens and will thus continue to act intelligently," Olmert was quoted by local newspaper Ha'aretz as saying.
"A war is happening in the south. This war is not ending and the moment will come that the firing on the south will no longer be as it is," Olmert added.
Earlier Thursday, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said that negotiations with Israel are impossible as long as the Israeli army continues its raids on Gaza.
Erekat's comments came after two days of escalation of fighting between Israel and Hamas gunmen in Gaza Strip.
Israel will defend its citizens not only through negotiations, but also through "uncompromising war" against Palestinian terror from Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Thursday. Livni said during a visit to Moscow that "Israeli is obligated to its citizens, and needs to give an answer to the daily attacks coming from Gaza."
The foreign minister said that "the answer to the Kassam rocket attacks is an uncompromising war on terror which originates from Gaza, and not only through dialogue and negotiations."
"The situation in Gaza must change," she concluded.
Israel Air Force attacks have killed at least 25 Palestinians since Tuesday and militants in Gaza have fired more than 70 rockets at the western Negev, including at least 15 on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua
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