Israel PM vows more Gaza action

28/05/2007| IslamWeb

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says a crackdown against Hamas will continue, after an Israeli man was killed by a rocket fired from Gaza.

"No-one involved in terror has immunity," Mr Olmert told his Cabinet.

The Israeli man died after shrapnel hit him in the neck in the town of Sderot. Hamas militants said they had carried out the rocket attack.

About 40 people have been killed in Gaza in 12 days of Israeli air strikes designed to stop the rocketing.

Mr Olmert hinted that any Israeli action would be open-ended.

"We are not acting according to any timetable that is dictated externally. We will decide where, how and to what extent we act," he said.

One other Israeli civilian has been killed and 16 wounded by rockets fired on Israeli towns, particularly Sderot, in recent days.

According to the Israeli army, more than 230 rockets have been fired from Gaza since mid-May.

Mr Olmert's spokeswoman said that Israel would not only target those directly involved in the rocket attacks.

"If somebody in the hierarchy is involved in terrorism, they should not feel safe," said Miri Eisin.

'Pointless'

On Saturday Israel arrested a Hamas member of the Palestinian cabinet, Wasfi Kabaha.

The arrest follows the detention on Thursday of Education Minister Nasser al-Shaer and about 30 other officials in the West Bank.

Attempts by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who belongs to the rival Fatah faction, to revive a ceasefire with Israel and halt Hamas attacks have come to nothing.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, said such hopes were "absurd", because Mr Olmert's "threats and the continued Zionist escalation makes any talk about calm pointless".

Hamas has warned that any Israeli attack against the group's military or political leaders would make the release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit more uncertain.

Cpl Shalit has not been heard from or seen since his capture in Gaza in June 2006.

Photo caption

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert/file photo