Jerusalem - Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
warned Israel would respond to a surge in rocket attacks from the
Gaza Strip Wednesday.
'It is clear that this fire only sharpens what we have said all
the time. There cannot be a situation in which it has been agreed
that there is calm (a truce), but at the same time the reality on the
ground is complete different,' he told reporters as he cast his vote
in a primary of his ruling Kadima party.
'Of course this requires us to relate to it and will relate to
it,' he said.
Palestinian militants intensified their rocket attacks from Gaza
Wednesday, as an Egyptian-brokered six-month informal truce between
Israel and Palestinian armed factions in the strip is due to expire
early Friday.
Some 20 rockets and one mortar shell were launched at southern
Israel by late Wednesday evening, a military spokeswoman in Tel Aviv
said.
One of them landed just outside a shopping centre in the southern
Israeli town of Sderot, lightly injuring three Israelis.
Despite the warnings, senior Israeli defence officials told
Israel's Channel 1 television they believe 'this is not the time for
a broad (military) operation in Gaza,' while also Channel 10
television reported that the Israeli military and defence ministry
were 'very uneager to return to Gaza' three years after Israel
unilaterally withdrew from the strip in 2005.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak reiterated Wednesday evening
that Israel does 'not shrink from a broad action in Gaza, but we are
also not running toward such an action. When the situation obliges us
to act, we will act.'
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