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Last update - 23:07 15/11/2008
Livni: We'll use force to protect our citizens from Gaza attacks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel news 

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Saturday asserted that while Israel does not seek to escalate violence that has been threatening to unravel a five-month truce in Gaza, it would strike back if there were further violations of the cease-fire.

"If Israeli citizens are attacked, Israel will respond with force to defend them," said Livni, speaking at an event in Tel Aviv.

"The time will come when Israel will say: Enough!" she declared.
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She added that if there is quiet in the South and Gaza militants do not exploit it to prepare for their next attack, Israel will grant quiet in return.

Livni was echoing similar comments made on Saturday by Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

He warned that the Israel Defense Forces may embark on a broad operation in Gaza if Palestinian militants continue to launch cross-border attacks.

"It is possible that when the time comes there will be a need for a broad operation because we can't reconcile ourselves to the continued infringement of the truce, but we must work with forethought and discretion," he said.

Barak made the comments at a conference in Netanya. They came amid growing tensions between Israel and Gaza militants as cease-fire in the coastal territory appeared to be unraveling.

He did stress, though, the need to treat the matter of an IDF offensive in Gaza with great seriousness.

The defense minister said: "I am defense minister, not 'war minister.' Believe me, I have known war. I know what battle is, and I do not flinch from it when it's necessary. And I say now: If there is the need, the IDF and security forces are prepared for a powerful operation that will hurt the other side."

Barak also said he ascribed great importance to the five-month, and branded violations of it by Gaza militants as intolerable.

"One cannot regret one minute of quiet," he added.

"For almost six months, the children of Sderot and Gaza-area [communities] have been going to school under skies clear of Qassams, except for short term violations. These breaches are also intolerable, but we must weigh every matter separately."

PRC: We'll avenge deadly Gaza blast; IDF denies involvement

Earlier Saturday, the Popular Resistance Committees threatened to avenge the death of an operative killed in an explosion in Gaza the Palestinian militant group blamed Israel for, Israel Radio reported.

The Israel Defense Forces, however, denied having carried out an airstrike in the area, saying the blast was likely a result of a work accident.

The blast in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun killed a Palestinian militant and critically wounded another, Palestinian medical workers said on Saturday.

The Popular Resistance Committees said an Israel Air Force strike had targeted a group of its gunmen as they approached the Israel-Gaza border near Beit Hanoun.

Hamas on Saturday repeated its threat of ending the truce.

"The military wing of Hamas will avenge every Israeli crime," Army Radio quoted Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum as saying.

Army Radio reported that Barhoum stressed that rocket attacks on Israel by Gaza militants were a response to "aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip."

Nevertheless, a former deputy chief of the Shin Bet security service has said most Hamas leaders are interested in maintaining a cease-fire with Israel in the short term.

In an article regarding the recent escalation of violence between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip, published on a U.S. Web site, the official wrote that continuing the truce would allow Hamas to achieve its other political goals.

The cease-fire began to deteriorate last week. The fighting has killed 12 Gaza militants. Some 140 rockets, missiles and mortars have been fired from Gaza at Israel.



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      1.   NOTHING NEW - ANOTHER "WORK ACCIDENT" 12:45  |  * BEN JABO 15/11/08
      2.   IAF denies strike and knows 12:59  |  all about it? 15/11/08
      3.   Israel news says that the IDF has not been in the area 13:15  |  Galei Tsahal 15/11/08
      4.   it was miitant and not "Palestinian" 13:39  |  oren 15/11/08
      5.   Hamas Shlemazl Inc suffers "work" accidents 14:10  |  17 15/11/08
      6.   Israel broke the Truce! 14:37  |  Tony 15/11/08
      7.   Remember? 14:59  |  H 15/11/08
      8.   Hamas says Gaza Truce won`t prevent Hamas Resistant..... 15:17  |  Dagma 15/11/08
      9.   The solution to their misery. 15:27  |  Mario Sala 15/11/08
      10.   Suicide Bomber Demonstration 16:02  |  UsedToPostHere 15/11/08
      11.   #6 tony and cyclops share the one eyed vision 16:10  |  victor hardman 15/11/08
      12.   Tony lives in a Seret ( Movie) 16:15  |  Nephtaly 15/11/08
      13.   #6 Tony 16:32  |  * BEN JABO 15/11/08
      14.   #2 of course IDF knows 16:34  |  * BEN JABO 15/11/08
      15.   Armed Palestinian killed, another critically hurt in Gaza blast 16:52  |  oren 15/11/08
      16.   #6 What Truce? 16:57  |  Bill Foonman 15/11/08
      17.   If in doubt,blame Israel. 17:08  |  David Nigel Braham 15/11/08
      18.   PRC has a reputation for always doing what they say 17:21  |  they are not 15/11/08
      19.   Avenge sought by PRC 17:25  |  DT 15/11/08
      20.   #6 Tony - Don`t be ridiculous 17:28  |  Yonatan 15/11/08
      21.   *Ben Jawbone knows everything from 17:35  |  his momma`s 15/11/08
      22.   David Nigel Braham ? its a surew thing 17:37  |  you are 15/11/08
      23.   #6 Tony 17:45  |  Samk 15/11/08
      24.   the zio gov. also has an obligation to sedrot and askelon 18:06  |  to maintain the truc 15/11/08
      25.   Lastest Latest 18:11  |  Jasper 15/11/08
      26.   WHAT A JOKE 18:11  |  Joseph 15/11/08
      27.   IDF doesn`t need to deny anuthing-it`s organically incapable 18:14  |  Absplute Sweden 15/11/08
      28.   Yawn... 18:20  |  Jeffrey 15/11/08
      29.   Job Safety Standards In Gaza Need Improvement 18:31  |  Jeff Northridge 15/11/08
      30.   Tony, the hatred is there from in kindergarden indoctrination 18:34  |  I 15/11/08
      31.   goats in tunnels? 18:40  |  Gershon Reed 15/11/08
      32.   IDF denies Gaza blast 19:12  |  Steve Gure 15/11/08
      33.   Haaretz Supports Palsetine Over Israel 19:13  |  Proud Israeli 15/11/08
      34.   It doesn`t matter whether it was an air strike... 19:17  |  tristan 15/11/08
      35.   Tony: "Notwithstanding any silly tunnel.." 19:19  |  Freethinker 15/11/08
      36.   Gershon Reed? they are under a starvation seige 19:33  |  and all zio jokes 15/11/08
      37.   His mouth moves but al we hear is "blah blah blah" 20:01  |  Arie 15/11/08
      38.   TALK,TALK and mor TALK!! 20:39  |  Ben Yeppi 15/11/08
      39.   Some 140 rockets, missiles and mortars have been fired from Gaza 20:42  |  vik 15/11/08
      40.   Barak`s Words Are Meaningless 21:02  |  Marcel 15/11/08
      41.   Hamas deploys new bio/chemical weapon! 21:10  |  Mark Lincoln 15/11/08
      42.   Absolute 21:22  |  Kimmo 15/11/08
      43.   IT WAS COMING....... 21:37  |  Dolly 15/11/08
      44.   To Mark Lincoln # 23 - Good! 21:54  |  Natasha 15/11/08
      45.   To Mark Lincoln # 23 - Good! 21:54  |  Natasha 15/11/08
      46.   #11 Ben Jabo. "Paid snitches." 22:10  |  Maureen Ann 15/11/08
      47.   Stop talking all day and start doing something 22:19  |  Dan 15/11/08
      48.   so livni jumps on war wagon with barak 22:21  |  who is in charge? 15/11/08
      49.   Barak Threatens To Invade Gaza--For The Zillionth Time 22:26  |  Jeff Northridge 15/11/08
      50.   Tony 22:32  |  Peter Williams 15/11/08
      51.   The IQ of the pals 22:36  |  UUUUUURRET 15/11/08
      52.   And when will Israel end the Illegal Settlement expansion 22:48  |  Labhras 15/11/08
      53.   A strong response has been necessary for over six years now .. 22:55  |  redmike 15/11/08
      54.   Seinfeld Quote: "Yada, yada, yada" 23:01  |  Rob 15/11/08
      55.   Well, Hello Dolly! 23:11  |  Akiva P 15/11/08
      56.   The real problem in Gaza is 23:26  |  ottomatik 15/11/08
      57.   Yawn...yawn...same old boring stuff 23:32  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      58.   LIes lies and more lies! 23:47  |  G 15/11/08
      59.   Care to read Livni`s statement again? 00:32  |  Johnboy 16/11/08
      60.   Olmert,Barak,Livni threaten retaliation,maybe now or in 10 years 00:36  |  Sam 16/11/08
      61.   The time has come to say enough to the war mongers in Israel 00:57  |  Dutch 16/11/08
      62.   We all know that Livni the defeatist will cave in to terror. 01:15  |  Herry Mann 16/11/08
      63.   Of course its coming Dolly 02:18  |  kiwi girl 16/11/08
      64.   HOW LOW ARE THESE ISRAELIS WILLING TO GO? 03:13  |  indrajaya 16/11/08
      65.   There is An Alternative. 03:22  |  Reader 16/11/08
      66.   Once again the war mongers fail to see they are the root cause 03:42  |  Dutch 16/11/08
      67.   How many casualties are they waiting for? 03:52  |  Free Gilad Shalit 16/11/08
      68.   339 Palestinian Brit 06:04  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/08
      69.   #28 Maureen Ann - It`s so obvious 06:07  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/08
      70.   #20 whatever your name is 06:09  |  * BEN JABO 16/11/08
      71.   dutch63 07:37  |  strange 16/11/08
      72.   Livni and Hamas 07:57  |  Judith Nusbaum 16/11/08
      73.   Hamas the terrorist! 08:25  |  Cameron 16/11/08
      74.   dimdumdutch #666 The Cut & Paste Queen Strikes again 10:32  |  Joe Moer 16/11/08
      75.   Clever Olmert gets his way as usual 10:56  |  Jim 16/11/08
      76.   #18 they are not 11:07  |  Jim 16/11/08
      77.   Not much experience as a parent it seems 12:31  |  Ilan 16/11/08
      78.   FGS, How Many Casualties? None. 20:33  |  Reader 16/11/08
      79.   #78 Reader, doesn`t read too well 03:13  |  * BEN JABO 17/11/08
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